Starlight Pretty Cure
by kittykatears
Summary: The Starlight Shards have been lost, two planets are at war, and it's up to a new astronomical Pretty Cure to save the universe from the evil group Singularity before they find the shards and gain the ultimate power! (Fanseries)
1. Shining Brightly! Cure Galaxy is Born!

"_-anks, Aido. Good morning, Yozora! I know it looks overcast now, but the weather report says the clouds should clear around noon and give us a lovely evening! I don't know about you, Aido, but the sunsets in Yozora really are a sight to behold, I tell you what-"_

Yamamoto Nao regretted setting her alarm to the radio. Her intention had been to wake up to music, but in the early hours before school it was all talk shows and news. With a tired hand, she clicked the _off _button on the top of the radio, hand groping next for her glasses and edging them onto her face. She laid in bed for a moment longer, listening to the clink of kitchen sounds drifting in from down the hall. Her pillow was pressed against her face, making her glasses tilt at an awkward angle. She didn't bother to adjust them.

"Nao? Are you up yet?" Her mother called from down the hall, and from the creaking Nao could tell she was standing right in the doorway. There was another creak and the slight sounds of walking as Mrs. Yamamoto went back into the kitchen, speaking softly. Nao pulled the covers up over her face, breathing in the warm, stuffy air underneath her blankets. Slowly, she slid out from under them, until her feet were on the floor, knees buckling as the rest of her followed, magenta hair tangled and mussy and sticking up in several places. With great mental difficulty, Nao stood up and began getting ready for the day.

As much as she disliked waking up in the mornings, she was a fast dresser. When she walked downstairs, her hair was combed, her bangs brushed off to the side like usual and her long pigtails tucked in front of her ears. Her dark pink eyes looked tired, but the bags under her eyes were covered by her usual circular glasses.

"Nao, that sweater is getting old, don't you think?" Her mother said, gesturing at the tan pullover Nao had thrown on over her school uniform as her daughter made her way to the low table and sat down. Nao shrugged, pushing the sleeves up to her elbows and gratefully accepting the miso soup her mother handed her. Mr. Yamamoto looked at Nao over the top of his newspaper, which Nao knew he wasn't really reading. Her father only opened the paper to get wind of sales at the local department store, but teasing from his daughters had caused him to hide his cheap tendencies, especially after he once came home with ten pounds of leeks.

"Pops, that's upside-down," she said, pointing at the paper with a thin finger before she mumbled a quick "let's eat" and began sipping at her miso soup.

Her father turned red and righted it, frowning and spluttering. "I knew that! I was training my eyes. It's not enough to have physical strength, Nao. A person needs a strong mental, um…"

"Focus?" Mrs. Yamamoto prompted, sitting a bowl of miso soup in front of her husband.

"No, it's more…vast."

"Vast? What's that supposed to mean?"

Nao ate the rest of her soup and listened as her parents argued, noticing the ad on the discarded newspaper for 50% Off Saturday and the slight tears around it that suggested her father had lost his scissors. When she was done, she speared a piece of tamagoyaki with her chopsticks and shoved the whole thing in her mouth, standing up and clapping her hands together. "Thank you for the meal!" She mumbled around the food.

Her words shook her parents out of their discussion, and Nao's mother turned to her in surprise.

"You're going already? Isn't it early?"

Nao chewed and swallowed. "Yeah, but I need to pick up paperwork for the club before school," she said, grabbing her school bag and looping the strap around her torso.

"Again with the astronomy," her father said, shaking his head. Nao stepped into the entry way, slipping on her shoes and rolling her eyes, but her father wasn't finished.

"Nao, you could be a judo champion! All those years I trained you…" Nao looked back to see her father's shoulders hunched and shaking, his hands over his face, strangled sobbing noises wracking his body.

"…I'm leaving," Nao said, ignoring her father and reaching to open the door.

"How cruel! Sakura, our daughter is too cruel…" She heard her father say. Mr. Yamamoto clutched at his wife's shirt, and she patted his arm. Nao could almost hear the pity smile in her mom's voice.

"There, there, Tsuyoshi-"

The door slid open before Nao could get her hands on it, and a dark, fast shape swung into view.

"_LITTLE SISTER! PREPARE YOURSELF!"_

There was a strangled screech, a crash, and then the sound of the nearby picture frames clattering to the ground. When the commotion ended, Nao had her foot squarely planted on the stomach of a young lady with the same shade of maroon hair, although hers was tied up in a bun. The would-be attacker slid down and curled up on the floor, hands wrapped around her abdomen.

"G-good reflexes, little sist…er…" she managed.

Nao lowered her foot and stared down at her.

There was a long moment of silence.

"…I'm leaving now."

* * *

_Episode 1: "_Shining Brightly! Cure Galaxy is born!"

* * *

"So, Himawari's back in town?" Kimiko asked, her dark hair falling around her face in ringlets as she painted Nao's nails during class break.

"So it seems," Nao said, head on her desk. She was barely paying attention to her manicure. "I think she got fired again. Wouldn't surprise me."

"Nacchan! That's mean."

Nao propped her head up on her free hand, watching as Kimiko expertly applied a coat of pale pink nail polish to her thumbnail, her blue eyes focused on Nao's hand with laser-like intensity. "It's the truth," she muttered as the door to the classroom opened and the teacher strode in.

Mikage-sensei was a no-nonsense lady who always had her brown hair in a ponytail and wore pantsuits on a regular basis, her lipstick so on point it could kill someone. Today, she walked in with more purpose than usual, holding up her rolled-up lesson book and tapping it against her shoulder like a samurai would his sword. A girl Nao had never seen before walked in after, her mint-green hair tied in two pigtails. She held her schoolbag in front of her body, like a shield.

"Everyone, settle down! I have an announcement." There was a ripple of excitement, and even Kimiko stopped painting Nao's nails and turned to pay attention.

"As of today, a new student will be joining our class. It's already a few months into the year, so make her feel welcome. Can you write your name for us?"

"Of course!" The girl said, tilting her head and smiling beatifically. With a smooth motion, she turned and uncapped a green marker. A few flourishes later, large characters took up a significant portion of the board. "My name is Hoshizawa Himeko! I have lived far away for all my life, but I'm excited to learn more about this city! I have a lot of aspirations and goals! Let's work our hardest! Please take care of me!" She low bowed to the class.

The class clapped, and a few students cheered. Himeko beamed, and Mikage-sensei guided her to a chair two rows down and three to the right of where Nao and Kimiko's seats were.

_She talked a lot but didn't really say anything,_ Nao thought. _All we really learned was her name._ Nao blew on her drying nails and picked up a pencil as Mikage-sensei erased the new student's name off the board. Nao watched silently and wondered if Kimiko would remember to paint the nails on her other hand.

* * *

"The new student seems nice. Hoshizora, right?" Kimiko casually twirled a strand of hair around a finger as she waited for Nao to pack up her things, the final bell chiming in the background. Nao glanced over at the new student, who was surrounded by at least half the class and was laughing with her hand over her mouth demurely. The way she stood and carried herself made Nao wonder where exactly she had lived. It wasn't the normal posture of a high-school girl.

"Hoshizawa, I think." Nao slid her math book into her school bag, snapping the clasps closed with a satisfying _click_.

"Close enough." Kimiko let go of her hair and moved her hand to scratch her nose, watching as Nao slung her bag over her shoulder. "I thought you had club things today,"

"Nah, I need to find more members. I think you need at least three people before you can turn your paperwork in."

There was a heavy sigh from Kimiko, who crossed her arms, closed her eyes, and hung her head in mock sadness. "This is the last time I'll ever get to walk home with you, isn't it? You'll be leaving me," She said sadly as they made their way out of the classroom.

"Kimi, the club meets once a week. Anyways, if you joined, I'm one person closer to turning this sheet in."

Kiniko wrinkled her nose, blue eyes squinting at Nao. "I know you're really excited, Nacchan, but stars and planets and that stuff – it's not my thing."

Nao sighed dramatically in mock sadness.

"What was I thinking? You're right."

Kimiko looked suspiciously at Nao, who flung one arm over her eyes and sagged her shoulders.

"I can't possibly ask you to take time out of your busy Not-In-a-Club schedule to help a friend out – I mean, it's not like we've been friends since elementary school or anything…" She peeked out from under her arm to see if Kimiko was watching. She was.

Kimiko snorted, crossing her arms and looking away, but Nao looped her arm around Kimiko's and tugged her towards the door. "I'm kidding, you know."

"I know."

"You don't want to join my club because you just got that weird otome game, right?"

Kimiko pursed her lips, her face turning a lovely shade of pink. "_The art is really good!_" She said, looking around to make sure nobody had heard. Nao laughed the entire way out of the classroom.

Two bright green eyes watched them leave.

* * *

The sun was setting on the horizon, bathing everything in a warm orange light. As Nao stepped off the train, she paused a moment to stare at the clouds.

She had said goodbye to Kimiko two stops earlier, and now all that was left was the walk home. Nao's commute was fairly lengthy – a ten minute walk and a thirty minute train ride – but ever since the start of middle school she'd been riding the train, and the commute didn't seem as long anymore. It helped that she had Kimiko to look forward to talking to. It made the time pass by quickly.

There was a sudden flash in the sky, and Nao craned her neck to try to see better. She put a hand up to shield her eyes from the late afternoon glare.

_What _is_ that?_

From this distance, it looked like birds fighting in mid-air, two dark shapes hitting each other with small flashes every so often. Nao idly wondered if they had found some sort of coin or jewelry. She remembered reading somewhere that crows loved…that…

The shapes were getting closer.

Nao took an involuntary step back as she realized whatever was in the sky was falling quickly towards the ground. She squinted up again, trying to make out what was going on. She thought she saw the silhouette of an arm-

"Look out!"

Before Nao had time to register the shout, something had barreled into her side, hitting her ribs and knocking her off balance, sending her sprawling on the ground in the shadow of the train station. Nao sat up quickly, holding her side and gasping, but before she could yell out, there was a blur and a loud crunch as the dark shapes touched down on land. Nao threw her arms up, squeezing her eyes shut as dust and dirt and small rocks flew up, the shockwave rocking the area. She coughed.

"Princess!"

The same female voice from earlier was crying out again, but it sounded haggard, desperate. Nao couldn't see anything, but she realized it was because her glasses had been knocked off. The world was a mass of blurry shapes. She scrabbled around, fingers closing over the wire frames, and jammed them back on her face.

In front of her stood a bat the size of a small dog, its fur a dark purple in color, a bright bow tied around its neck. It must have sensed Nao staring, because it looked over at her, pink eyes blinking in worry and confusion.

Nao opened her mouth to say something, but it was lost as the clack of heels on pavement drew closer. Nao scooted back, further into the shadows, holding her breath.

A woman was walking towards the fresh crater, her long black hair tied into a thick braid that reached her heels. She was wearing some sort of uniform Nao couldn't place, black and neat and accented with a pale pink. Nao's stomach turned. Something about this woman scared her.

The woman stepped down into the crater, kicking something inside. Something in the crater, a flash of pale mint, bobbed just out of Nao's vision, but slipped back behind the rubble before she got a clear look. With a sick, sudden realization, Nao realized there was someone else in there. The dark shapes she had seen in the sky must have been these two, but there was no way anyone could fall from that height and survive…

_People can't fall from the sky._

"Peria, stop!"

The voice again. Nao looked around, expecting a third person to be standing nearby, but all she could see was the small bat, wings outstretched, flying towards the woman.

_Bats can't talk._

"Peria! Please stop! Reconsider!"

With a snarl, the woman – Peria – roughly hit the bat out of the sky. Nao scrambled to her feet, running over to the bat and cradling her in her arms. The bat coughed, one eye closed in pain, but she glared at Peria, who just laughed, harsh and low.

"Sorry, Stella. Your power is too low here. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Turning on her heel, Peria made her way to the crater once again, standing over the other person. At this angle, Nao could see her perfectly – a young girl about her age with pale green hair clutching an orb that seemed to be filled with multicolored light. Peria bent down to take it.

A rock hit Peria square in the back, causing her to hiss and spin around, fire in her eyes.

Nao had another rock ready in her hand, arm poised to throw.

Peria's eyes narrowed. "Who are _you_?" She spat, hands tensing at her sides. Nao fought the wave of fear that was threatening to swallow her up.

"I'm…nobody special," she managed, her voice shaky. She felt like she would fall down at any moment. Her knees were weak, and already she was lowering the rock, holding it tightly in front of her.

Peria's fury seemed to simmer down slightly, but the anger in her eyes didn't disappear. She crossed her arms, considering the situation, and clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"I don't have time to deal with you," she said vaguely, turning back around to face the crater.

It was empty.

"Where is she!?" Peria barked, hands clenching into fists.

"Right here."

Nao turned to look. The girl from the crater was standing unsteadily to the side, looking battered and dirty but defiant.

Peria's head jerked toward the girl, her eyes widening and her mouth cracking into a feral mockery of a smile. "Careful, Cure Star," she said, slowly walking toward the girl. "Your cargo is more precious than your life..._but_, if you surrender it to me, I might just put in a good word with the boss."

The girl's jaw set, and she raised the orb high over her head.

Peria began running, arm outstretched. "No-!"

Cure Star smashed the orb into the pavement, and the area erupted into a bright, searing light. Nao dropped the rock, threw up her hands, squeezed her eyes shut and turning her head away from the sunburst. She could feel it on her, almost like it was a tangible blanket thrown over her made of polar fleece. It burned red in front of her eyelids, and she didn't dare try to open her eyes until the sensation faded, her vision black behind her eyelids, the soft feeling gone.

Carefully, Nao cracked one eye open, putting her arms down slowly. The glass jar was smashed on the ground, the lights that filled it gone, and the girl and Peria were glaring at each other. Nao dropped to her knees, suddenly tired.

_This is a dream._

Cure Star was now struggling to stand up, breathing heavily. "I won't…let you get them. The Starlight Shards are better…better _lost_ than in your hands." She crumpled to the ground, and Nao could see the bright sheen of sweat on her brow.

Peria reached forward, face dark with rage and disappointment.

"_Stop!_"

Both Cure Star and Peria turned to look at Nao, on her feet, trembling in fear and anger. "I don't know what's going on, but leave her alone!" She said, pointing at Peria, hand shaking.

Cure Star finally registered the third human nearby. Her face turned paler. "Get away!" She yelled, waving her hand at Nao. "It's dangerous!"

"But-!" Nao began, stepping forward.

_This is a dream, isn't it?_

"I want to help," she said, almost a whisper.

_Please tell me this is just a dream._

Peria snorted, eyes hard. "Run away, little girl. This isn't your fight."

Nao took another step forward, and another. "I'm _making_ it my fight."

_She can't do anything to me inside my head._

The sudden noise of clattering on the ground made both Peria and Nao look down in confusion. Something was rolling towards Nao, coming to a halt as it hit the side of her shoe. Nao crouched, placing Stella on the ground, and picked up the mysterious object, a small star that fit perfectly in her palm. She stared at it in confusion, turning it over. It was simple and pink, made out of a material Nao didn't recognize. It radiated heat, and Nao instinctively closed her fingers around it. It made the situation seem realer somehow, like a lens that threw everything into sharp focus.

"Princess…are you sure?" Stella said, less mesmerized by the mirror than Nao. She had already begun to hop over to Cure Star. Peria was staring at the mirror in confusion.

"Quickly!" Cure Star yelled, snapping Nao out of her reverie. "Hold it up! Hold it up above your head!"

Blankly, hesitantly, Nao did so.

She closed her eyes.

A wind began picking up, tugging at Nao's clothing. Peria took an uneasy step back, her face tight and anxious.

There were…words, drifting through Nao's mind, catching in her mouth and…she had the feeling she needed to say them, to speak them out loud. She took a deep breath in.

"**Pretty Cure! Cosmos Activate!"**

The effect was instantaneous.

Nao brought the mirror down and clasped it against her chest, barely registering the fact her body had begun to glow pale pink, her glasses dissolving away. Her body felt heavy, and as she opened her eyes (the irises being a lighter pink than was her usual color), she shook her arms roughly, the glow melting off in a shower of sparks and leaving pink gloves in its stead. Nao spun once, feeling her body becoming lighter as the glow dissipated to reveal a dress edged with lace, and she clicked her heels together, revealing boots that went to her knees. She tapped the mirror lightly once more, noticing it had attached to her dress, and the sudden motion shocked a pink choker into existence around her neck, as well as ribbons that trailed delicately from the mirror and earrings that clinked against her cheeks pleasantly. The glow had now begun to concentrate around her hair, and Nao shook her head once, feeling it become lighter, and ran her hands through her hair, feeling it grow underneath her fingers and coil itself into two pale pink pigtails that fell to her waist in spirals. Nao felt like she was floating.

More words rose in her mind.

"The promise of infinite possibility! I am Cure Galaxy!" She yelled, bringing her arms up in front of her in a defiant pose.

Then Cure Galaxy's brain finally caught up with her mouth and body, everything crashing down back to Earth and reality in a split second.

"Wait…wh..at is…" She mumbled, confusion heavy on her features. She looked at her hands, down at her dress, pulled at a pigtail gently to make sure it was real. Her hands went to her face, but her glasses had disappeared. The transformation couldn't have taken more than a second, but in that time, Nao had transformed into a completely different person, someone with perfect vision. _Cure…? Promise of…? What am I saying? _Cure Galaxy thought, turning this way and that to get a better look at the sudden costume.

Peria had retreated, face dark with fury.

"This isn't over, _Princess_," she spat, turning to look at Cure Galaxy with the coldest eyes she had ever seen, and behind Peria a dark void appeared. She stepped backwards into it, so that the last thing Cure Galaxy saw were pink eyes, shining with hate. Then she and the void disappeared, curling up toward the sky like smoke.

Cure Galaxy stared after them for a moment, turning her attention next to the ruined street –

But as she looked, the debris faded, the rubble and crater vanishing, leaving the empty street as it had been the moment before the battle.

'What! It's gone?" Cure Galaxy said, staring at it in disbelief.

"Singularity disrupts space and time whenever they appear," Cure Star said, struggling to her feet. Galaxy ran over to her, hands outstretched to catch her in case she fell, but Star waved her away. "I may have lost the fight, but I'm not dead yet!" She said, smiling weakly.

"Please don't make those jokes, Princess," Stella said, perched on Star's shoulder and putting a small paw on her face. "We should be very lucky Peria didn't decide to continue fighting. We're in no condition to-"

"Yes, yes, all right, Stella. I got it." Star nudged the broken shards of the orb near her feet thoughtfully. It hadn't shattered like glass, but looked more like melted plastic. Whatever was held inside the orb was long gone. There was a sudden, pale green light, and in a moment, Cure Star no longer stood there, but someone Galaxy had seen before just hours ago.

"You…you're…_Hoshizawa?!_" Galaxy spluttered, feeling the familiar thick cotton of her school uniform and her scratchy, old sweater against her arms, the thick round frames of her glasses winking into existence on her face once more. She adjusted them out of habit.

"Hoshizawa Himeko, at your service!" Himeko curtsied, her twin pigtails bobbing as she inclined her head. "And this is Stella, my loyal bodyguard! But, before we go further…" Himeko tapped a thin finger against her chin.

"Why are only half of your nails painted? Is that fashionable here on Earth?"

Nao gaped at her.

_Someone…please tell me this is a dream…_

_Things like this don't happen to someone ordinary, right?!_

* * *

**Next Time on Starlight Pretty Cure!**

Nao: So I've become a… Pretty Cure?

Himeko: That's right!

Nao: And I have to save the world?

Himeko: No, the universe!

Nao: But, Himeko, before that…

Himeko: What?

Nao: What was our homework in class?

Himeko: Are you serious?!

_Next time on Starlight Pretty Cure: "The Universe in Danger? I'll Help the Princess!"_


	2. The Universe in Danger?

Peria walked into the throne room, striding fast and purposefully toward the opulent silver chair on the raised platform at the end of the hall. The hall was dim, shadows covering half the room in dusk, but one ray of light eked through a high window, casting the throne and top of the platform in a warm golden light. It would have been lovely, but the hall had been empty and neglected for some time. The silver throne was tarnished and dull, the marble hall and great pillars looking almost like relics in the abandoned hall.

Well, not completely abandoned.

The small sliver of light illuminated the man in the throne up to his shoulders, leaving his face obscured. His clothing was simple, just a plain black suit and a plain white tie. There were three shadowy figures standing at the base of the platform, and Peria could feel their eyes on her.

"Lord Garandou," she said, her voice echoing around the throne room as she kneeled on the cold stone floor. She could see her reflection in the polished marble. "The Starlight Shards-"

"I already know," was the reply, and Lord Garandou tilted his head slightly in sympathy. "Unfortunate, but it isn't an impossible task to retrieve them."

Peria bowed her head lower, her face hidden by her wavy black hair. "I understand. Please send me to redeem my mistake."

There was a small scoff, and Peria could hear the shifting of fabric as one of the shadows crossed their arms. "What a waste of time." Their voice was thin and reedy, every world almost a snarl.

"She didn't know the Princess would shatter the seal," interrupted another voice, a quieter, monotone one. "If anything, we're at an advantage."

"How?" The first voice asked, clearly displeased.

"We possess half the shards already," said a third voice, deep and hollow. It gave Peria shivers to hear it. "They are starting from zero."

Peria's face split into a nasty grin. "I'll make sure they never touch a single one."

"That's my Peria," Lord Garandou said fondly.

Peria's smile faded, replaced by an expression of worry. "My lord…what about Pretty Cure? If the Princess is-"

Lord Garandou cut her off with a wave of his hand. "If the Princess is desperate enough to call upon Pretty Cure, she's running out of time. She may be royalty, but she's simply a child. Her warriors are no match for us."

"We shouldn't ignore them completely," the third voice said.

Lord Garandou turned slightly. "Our priority is the shards. We will deal with Pretty Cure once we reach the Field of Stars." He waved his hand at Peria. "You may go."

Peria bowed her head once more, then rose and quickly walked out of the room, elegant and finely wrought metal doors opening at her touch and swinging open to let her pass. She didn't relax until the doors slammed shut behind her, the feeling of eyes on her no more.

Lord Garandou's knuckles grasped the side of the throne so hard they turned white.

* * *

_Episode 2: "_The Universe in Danger? I'll Help If I Can!"

* * *

"Okay, repeat it back to me so I can make sure you understand."

"Um, okay."

Stella, Himeko, and Nao were sitting on a bench in the nearby park, the two human girls with vending machine coffees in their hands. Stella was perching on Himeko's head, wings folded in what Nao assumed was supposed to be crossed arms.

Nao took a sip of her coffee and looked up, organizing her thoughts.

"Well…okay. You two are from the Star Planet-"

"-Kingdom of Stars," Himeko broke in helpfully.

"-_Kingdom of Stars_, and your planet governed everything that floats around in space. And then these other guys, the Dark Planet, kept_ actual _space in check?"

Stella nodded her approval. "Correct."

"Um…and you each had half of those star thingies-"

"Starlight Shards," Stella said, an edge of annoyance in her voice, but Himeko raised the coffee cup to Stella, who carefully accepted it with her tiny paws and took a sip. Himeko looked at Nao and spread her hands in a "what-can-you-do" gesture, but then took the cup back when Stella knocked it lightly against her forehead.

"Better?"

"I'm sorry to be so brusque, Nao, Princess," Stella said, looking downcast. "It's just that it's very important you know what's going on."

"She knows, Stella," Himeko reassured. She turned her green eyes on Nao once more. "You're on point so far! Keep going!"

Nao nodded.

"Okay, um…each planet has – had – half of those shards, which, when combined, lead you to this special place called the Field of Stars. They were split up to have each planet avoid temptation, but on the Dark Planet, the monarchy was overthrown and this group Singularity took over and is now gunning for your shards."

"Exactly! Bingo!" Himeko gave Nao the thumbs up. Stella nodded, but looked less enthused.

"We must hurry and collect our missing shards before _they _find them, or the results will be catastrophic."

Nao took a sip of coffee thoughtfully. "What exactly _is_ in the Field of Stars?"

Himeko shrugged. "Nobody really knows. It's a legend. I was told that it houses a great power that must never be unleashed, because it has the power to destroy the universe. I don't even know what the Field of Stars looks like."

Nao raised her hand out of reflex. Himeko called on her. "Yes! Yamamoto!"

"Unrelated question: You said Stella was Captain of the Guards, but she's kind of…" Nao struggled for a moment with the words. "…Small," she said finally.

Stella snorted, and tapped Himeko's forehead again for the coffee cup. "I'm not usually this form. I look as human as Himeko does when I have all my magic." Nao sighed in disappointment, her imaginings of a small army of tiny, adorable, multicolored bats dashed. Stella took a swig of coffee and balanced it on Himeko's head carefully, holding the sides with her small bat paws. "Back in the Kingdom of Stars, there was no possibility of my magic ever being drained, because the planet creates and maintains magic unconsciously. Here, on Earth, you have no natural wellspring. My magic is now forced to recharge."

"How did it get so depleted?" Nao asked in surprise. "I thought you and Himeko used the Starlight Shards to warp here."

Stella paused for a moment, choosing to take a very large sip of coffee instead. Himeko cupped a hand around her mouth, whispering, "Stella used all her magic to make us a house. She's embarrassed that it took so much out of her."

"I could make a million houses if I was back home," Stella said defensively. Himeko just laughed.

Nao looked at her cup and made a mental note to buy coffee au lait next time.

* * *

"I'm home."

"Nao? Is that you?" Mrs. Yamamoto poked her head around the corner of the paper door in surprise. "You're home late, darling."

"Sorry, mom. The new girl at school and I were catching up." Nao dropped her bag at the entrance, but at her mother's stern look she picked it back up and hung it on the coatrack. She slid out of her shoes and sat at the table, where a cup of cold tea was waiting for her. "I'll call next time. I didn't expect it to take so long."

"It's fine, dear. We assumed it was something like that," her mother said, planting a kiss on the top of her head and taking the tea cup away to refresh it.

"She's going to join my astrology club, too."

"That's wonderful, Nao!" Mrs. Yamamoto said, pausing as she grabbed a bowl from the fridge to give Nao a proud smile. "Congratulations on your second member! I think we have something in the fridge we can eat in celebration." She resumed her task of rooting through the fridge, maneuvering her way to the tea kettle soon after.

Nao's father and sister shared a look.

"Told you Nao was with a girl, dad. Pay up."

Mr. Yamamoto grumbled and handed his daughter a 5,000 yen note from his wallet. Himawari pressed the crisp note to her face, taking a deep breath. "Ahhh, the smell of udon for lunch tomorrow," she said, a look of contentment on her face.

"Himawari, aren't you looking for jobs tomorrow?" Mrs. Yamamoto said, putting a steaming mug of green tea in front of Nao, who cupped it with both hands. Her fingers were slightly cold from the walk home. Mrs. Yamamoto filled up her husband's cup too, and he kissed her on the cheek fondly.

"Yeah, but food is also important. Look, I'll apply at the udon shop after I eat there, okay?"

Mr. Yamamoto frowned, crossing his arms. "You know, we need another instructor at the dojo-"

"No," was the immediate reply.

"Sakura-!"

"Don't go crying to mom!"

"What am I going to do? You both could be champions-!" Mr. Yamamoto crumpled to the floor, lying on the tatami mats with his hands over his face, mock crying. Mrs. Yamamoto stepped over him as she put a plate of microwaved fried rice in font of Nao. All three Yamamoto women ignored his plaintive wails.

"Anyways," Himawari said, "how's school going, Nao? You still top of the class?"

"No, I dropped from fifth to tenth in the last testing rounds," Nao said, picking the peas out of the rice with practiced hands. "It's okay, though. That was the week I had the flu, so I didn't really expect to do very well."

Himawari sighed, picking up the discarded peas with her own chopsticks and popping them in her mouth one at a time. "You're so motivated, Nao. I'm so jealous."

Mrs. Yamamoto sat down at the end of the table, account books in hand. "Nao's certainly made us all proud. You've got good qualities too, Himawari."

"Like what?"

Mrs. Yamamoto looked at her eldest daughter. "Hmmm…." She stared at her for a long moment. "Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…."

"Thanks a _lot_, mom!" Himawari cried, flicking a pea at her, and Mrs. Yamamoto attempted to catch it in her mouth. Nao laughed. Mr. Yamamoto cracked his fingers to see what was going on, but when Nao looked over he faked a sad sigh, twisting into something like the fetal position. The Yamamoto women continued to ignore him. He eventually got up and mandated that nobody was allowed to eat the orange mochi he had bought that day on sale, but that, too, was ignored.

* * *

Nao stared at her clock. _23:00_. She sighed and pushed the covers off, swinging her legs out of bed and padding down the starisl to the kitchen. To her surprise, the light was on, and her father was sitting at the table, working on timesheets with a calculator. He looked up in surprise when Nao entered.

"Can't sleep?" Nao shook her head, sitting across the table and rubbing her eyes blearily. Her father smiled at her. "Yeah, neither can I. Too much on my mind."

"Same here," Nao agreed, resting her chin on the table, watching as her father wrote down numbers in neat block letters. It was quiet for a while, but not uncomfortably so. It was the sort of silence where both parties felt content to just listen to nothing but the clock ticking and the scratching of pen on paper. After a long moment, Nao pushed herself up from the table. "Do you want some tea?"

"Sure."

Mr. Yamamoto watched his daughter grabbing tea and a strainer, and looked down at his timesheet.

"We're still understaffed for Friday," he mumbled, running his fingers through his short maroon hair. "Wada's ill, Akiyama's ill…something's going around…"

Nao turned to face her dad, hand halfway to the teapot. "I can help out, if you need me," she said.

Her father turned to her, surprised. "Really?" His face slid into a suspicious expression almost instantly. "What's the catch?"

"My wages are double my weekly allowance for the day, plus food expenses." Nao adjusted her glasses, making them glint against the soft kitchen light.

"Your wages are what everyone else gets, plus a free lunch because your mother is cooking," he responded, hand fondling an imaginary beard.

"Throw in ice cream money and we've got a deal."

They shook on it, and sealed the contract with slightly under-seeped tea. Nao went back to bed soon after, but not before giving her father a hug goodnight.

She closed the door to her room, but leaned against it, looking around. There was her bed with the lavender sheets, pushed against the wall, and her soft rug that she liked to shuffle her feet on. Her wardrobe made of dark wood and with elegant carved doors that was an antique, or so her mother said. Her desk with her computer and her swivel chair. Her lamp in the shape of a star. The Pretty Cure Mirror, placed on her nightstand, mirror-side down.

Nao crawled into bed, picking up the mirror before she wiggled under her covers, turning the magical device over above her head as she lay flat on her back. It was such an ordinary looking thing! It was hard to believe a mirror no bigger than her hand could turn her into a legendary warrior. It was hard to believe today had even happened. But the mirror felt real enough, and whenever Nao looked into it, the girl that was reflected back looked more confident than the girl in the real world felt.

She set the mirror and her glasses on the nightstand, pulling the covers over her head. In a few minutes, her eyes had closed of their own accord.

* * *

Nao opened her eyes the next morning, and sunlight was streaming in through the window. She laid there for a long moment, not moving, simply hugging one of her pillows close to her body and listening to the wind outside as leaves brushed against her window. When she finally shuffled into the kitchen, HImawari was sitting cross-legged at the table reading something and sipping at a glass of orange juice.

"Morning," she said as Nao sat down.

"Morning. Where's mom and dad?"

Himawari rolled her eyes and turned a page in her book. "They went on a shopping date. Mom needs ingredients for dinner and dad said he had coupons."

Nao nodded, and Himawari put a bookmark in, sitting the book off to the side and leaning forward. "Anyways, what's up with you? You've been acting strange since last night."

Nao started. "What do you mean?"

Himawari squinted, taking a large drink of juice and somehow making it look accusing. "I don't know," she said as she sat the empty glass back on the table. "You just look like you're scared of something."

"I'm fine. Nothing's going on."

"If you say so."

It felt like there was a pit in Nao's stomach, weighing her down, and it felt heavier when she saw the worry in Himawari's eyes, how unconvincing her words had been.

"Well, I mean, it's club stuff." When Himawari opened her mouth to speak, Nao continued on quickly. "I mean, not my club. A different club. That I joined. I guess." She exhaled, her shoulders sagging. "I was just the first person to walk by and now I've been signed up for something I don't think I can do. I'm not really qualified." She thought how relieved Himeko had looked when she had seen Nao raise the mirror over her head. "I want to help, but I don't know if being in the club is right for me. There's a lot…If I mess up, there's a lot at stake, is all."

Himeko pursed her lips and nodded. "Permission to give advice?"

Nao shrugged.

"I'm taking that as a yes." Himawari folded her hands on the table. "Are you sure they asked you to join because you were just nearby? What kind of club is it?"

"Um…" Nao hesitated. "It's…a specialized club. I don't think they tell a lot of people about it."

"Maybe you just looked like you were someone they needed." Himawari shrugged. "If you got in, I guess you had what they wanted."

"There wasn't even a test! They just handed me responsibilities and told me I was in just because I filled a spot." She tapped her index finger on the table top mournfully. "Anyone could have done that." She folded her arms up and buried her head in them, squeezing her eyes shut.

Himawari's eyes narrowed in thought, but then she smiled – not her usual smirks or dumb grins, but something softer. "Are you scared because you think this club is too overwhelming? That you won't do a good job?"

Nao nodded. The image of Peria disappearing filled her vision behind her eyelids, and she felt her breath hitch in sudden anxiety.

"Well, geez. If you don't want to do it, you don't have to."

"I want to help," Nao mumbled into her arms.

Himawari sighed and shook her head, resting her head on a hand, elbow propped up on the table. "You do know that it's not the position that's special here, right? I mean, yeah, maybe anyone could have filled the position, but they _didn't_. You did. You're putting too much pressure on the position, Nao."

Nao raised her head.

"It's not the position you filled that's special, it's who filled it. I'm pretty sure that you would have gotten the spot even if you had been the second to walk by, or the ninth, or the fiftieth. If it comes with a lot of responsibilities, I don't think they'd just pick off any random person off the street. Why do you think I haven't been hired yet?" Nao couldn't help but feel her face break into a smile at her sister's words.

"Yeah, that's true. You and responsibility don't mix."

"You know I got fired from my last job, right?"

Nao nodded slowly. "I guessed as much," she admitted.

"Well," Himawari said, apologetically, "they gave me too much responsibility and I panicked and couldn't deal with it. I didn't think I could do it, so I choked and messed up pretty big." She pointed at Nao. "If it's something you care about, you won't fail, because you won't let yourself. You're the responsible sister. I know you can do it."

"I'm sorry, Himawari."

"About my job? Whatever. Things happen. The important part is to move on and not let yourself worry before you even begin. There's a job out there who'll hire you! That position is made for you! You can do it!"

Nao was taken aback for a moment. Her expression changed into something in between awe and disgust. "…Did you just…use my personal life to sneak in a pep talk for _yourself_?"

Himawari closed her eyes, looking satisfied. "Yep. I feel so much better after hearing that." She opened one eye. "How are _you_ feeling?"

Nao looked at her hands, still clasped on the table. Only half of her fingernails were painted. "I feel…like-"

"-udon for lunch? Yeah, me too. Get dressed, we're gonna go job hunting."

Nao stared at her older sister in disbelief.

"Hurry, Nao! Whoever gets dressed faster gets to sit down on the train!"

"Nobody will be on the tra-! _Himawari!_"

As Nao chased her sister upstairs, she could feel her spirit lightening, just a little. Just enough that she slipped the mirror in her bag as she got ready to leave her room after changing, just enough that she didn't feel a sick worry creeping at the back of her skull when she looked at her reflection.

_I feel like..._

_Like I can fight._

* * *

**Next Time on Starlight Pretty Cure!**

* * *

Himeko: I've never seen a dojo! We don't have those in the Kingdom of Stars…

Nao: I think you'll like visiting one. It's just my house, though…

Himeko: I'm sure it'll be exciting!

?: How dare you put my friends in danger! I'll show you the true meaning of pain!

Stella: What? A new member of Pretty Cure?!

Nao: Looks like we have to fight. Good thing we're in a dojo…

Himeko: Next time on Starlight Pretty Cure: _"_Shining Vividly! Cure Solar is born!"


	3. Shining Vividly! Cure Solar is Born!

Kimiko bit into the onigiri and chewed pensively. "You really think she'll have fun at the dojo?" She asked when her mouth was empty.

"Yeah, maybe." Nao unwrapped her bento slowly. "She didn't have anything like that back home. I thought it would be nice to invite her."

"I think she'll love it!" Kimiko said, her smile a little too wide. "Nothing like watching as sweaty men throw each other around the room." The smile vanished, replaced with a small frown as she shoved an entire onigiri in her mouth.

"Sweaty _people_," Nao corrected.

"Sweaty people," Kimiko agreed, but then sniffed, her nose in the air. "Either way it's full of sweat. No thank you."

"It's not that bad," Nao said, but wondered how royalty would take to it. "It's not like she's doing any training or teaching. She's just watching."

Clicking her chopsticks together, Kimiko sighed. "I want to watch Nacchan, too! You were always so graceful in the tournaments I saw during middle school. You made it look like dancing- aren't you going to eat that?"

"Wh-? Oh, yeah." Nao opened the bento, noticing how the rice had a large heart cut out of ham placed on top. Even the ginger and chicken were arranged in heart shapes. The seaweed had been cut to read "love Nao" and there were rice balls in the shape of hearts as well. Nao stared blankly, but at Kimiko's face she quickly began eating to hide the evidence. She wasn't fast enough.

"Your dad always packs interesting bento boxes," Kimiko said, carefully removing the seaweed katakana with her chopsticks and studying it as Nao coughed and took a large swig of juice. She saw Kimiko's chopsticks dart forward again, but ignored her. No use, since she already saw the embarrassing-

"_OUCH_!"

Nao looked up, startled. Kimiko was holding her face, eyes watering.

"What happened?" Nao asked, bewildered, but Kimiko ignored her tears of pain for a moment and delicately removed a piece of green konpeito candy from her mouth. "I bit down and it was like glass! Whose stupid prank was this?" She groused, rubbing her cheek mournfully.

Nao took the candy from Kimiko and, on closer inspection, realized it _was_ made out of something besides sugar.

"Where did you get this?"

"It was just in your lunchbox! I thought it was candy you might have packed," Kimiko whined, still clutching her face.

Nao held the small, fake candy in her hand, and felt strange warmth emanate from it. It felt familiar.

"I don't think…this is candy. This is…"

* * *

_Episode 3: "_Shining Vividly! Cure Solar is born!"

* * *

"As a Pretty Cure, the Starlight Shards will be drawn to you. Your transformation uses the same sort of technology that the Shards use to warp people across the universe. It's only natural they'd attract," Stella said, holding the Starlight Shard in her paws. It glowed pleasantly.

The three had gotten off the train five minutes ago (after spending an enlightening ride listening to Kimiko complain about her doctor' appointment) and were walking along the main road to the dojo. Himeko was looking around like a kid on a field trip – she hadn't had any reason to visit this side of Yozora, so every sight was new and exciting. It was endearing, or it would be, if she didn't walk so slowly.

"We really need to get to the dojo," Nao said. "I promised I'd help out today." She began walking quickly, speeding ahead of Himeko by a couple of steps, although the princess jogged a little to catch up.

Himeko smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry! It's just…"

"It's not like this is the only time you'll be over here."

"Really? You mean I'm invited over more?"

Nao couldn't see Himeko's face, and didn't turn around to check. "Yeah. We're Pretty Cure, aren't we? We'll probably be spending a lot of ti- _oof_!" She was interrupted by Himeko running into her and wrapping her arms around her in a grateful hug.

"_Himeko I appreciate that you're excited but we really need to go!_"

* * *

The Yamamoto dojo was fairly large, taking up a good section of a street across from a few shops and restaurant on the outskirts of Yozora. The main gate was beautifully carved, and the dojo itself had been running for over seventy-five years, although the interior had been updated with things like fluorescent lighting and air conditioning for the summer. Nao usually took a shortcut through the back fence to get inside, ignoring the main entrance and curious people and heading straight for the old house in the back where her family lived. Today, however, she was showing Himeko around, so that meant the front gate - and it didn't fail to impress. Even Stella, hidden in Himeko's schoolbag, poked her head out to take a look.

"Wow," Himeko breathed as they walked into the main complex. "Your family _runs_ this?"

"It's been the Yamamoto business for a while," Nao said. "My great-great grandparents started it."

Himeko didn't respond, but she was busy looking around. There were students milling around, and Nao noted with satisfaction that she and Himeko were early. Dragging Himeko by her elbow over to the house, she pushed the door open and slid out of her shoes. "I'm home," she called.

"Nao? That you?"

"Yeah, dad, I'm going to change."

Himeko stepped into the house, still looking around, and was following Nao before she realized she still had her shoes on. She quickly pulled them off and tossed them into the entry way on top of Nao's before running after her.

"This house is so elegant," she said, clasping her hands in front of her as she walked into Nao's room, looking around and running her hands over the bedspread. Stella wiggled out of her hiding place and flapped up to Nao's bed, settling on the end.

"It's all right," said Nao, embarrassed.

"No, I mean it! It's so lovely! It's old and beautiful."

Nao shrugged. "I'm going to change. Be right back." She opened the door and disappeared down the hallway, her soft footsteps receding. Himeko could hear Nao run into her dad and ask where the spare judo uniforms were.

"Nao's really nice, don't you think?" Himeko asked, lying on the bed facing the ceiling. "I'm glad she's a Pretty Cure."

Stella nodded. "She's serious. Something you should be more often."

"I'm serious! I can be serious!"

Stella just turned the Starlight Shard over in her hands. The mood in the room became tense.

A few minutes later, Nao returned dressed in her uniform, carrying an extra tucked under one arm and a thin glass cylinder that Mrs. Yamamoto used to hold flowers held carefully in her other hand. The uniform she gave to Himeko, and the vase she put on the thin windowsill. It barely fit.

"I thought we could put the shards we find in this," she said. Stella flew over to Nao, landing on her shoulder, and carefully dropped the Starlight Shard in the vase. It clinked against the side pleasantly, sounding less like glass-on-glass and more like a very subtle bell chime. It caught the late afternoon light and threw green refractions all around the room.

"It's so lonely," Himeko said, joining the other two at the window, judo outfit on, light blue belt cinched tight around her waist.

Nao picked up the vase, and the Starlight Shard rolled around the bottom.

"We'll just have to find more."

* * *

Mr. Yamamoto clapped his hands, and the five students plus Nao and Himeko fell silent.

"Today, we have a guest. This is Himeko. She's just here to watch, so no trying any complicated moves on her!" A few students laughed. "Your next tournament is in a couple of months, so we're going back to the basics and practicing technique. Nao, can you help me?"

Nao moved to her feet and walked over to her father.

"You remember how to do the Hiza Guruma?" Nao nodded. She and her father faced off, grabbing each others arms, and in a fluid motion, Nao crossed her arms and threw her father down over her raised left leg, landing him squarely on his back. The students clapped. Himeko clapped too, wishing Stella could see.

(In fact, Stella had carefully made her way into the rafters, and was perched on a beam toward the top of the ceiling.)

Nao and her father took turns demonstrating judo throws before the class, Mr. Yamamoto commenting on hand placement and foot placement and throwing out terms Himeko didn't know. She felt lost, but it was fun to watch, and after about twenty minutes Nao walked back over to Himeko, sitting down on her knees and breathing heavily.

"That was amazing, Nao!" Himeko exclaimed, clapping for her once again.

"It was okay. I'm out of practice," Nao began, but someone's hand touched her shoulder, causing both girls to look up.

One of the students, a girl with tan skin and freckles all over, sat down near them, her short curly hair tied back with a long strip of red cloth and her brown eyes friendly. She had on a first kyu purple belt, one level above Nao's own second kyu. "_That's_ out of practice?" She said, her tone teasing. "I wish I was half as good as you are when you're not even trying!"

Nao looked down, mumbling an embarrassed "thank you."

The girl grinned. "Just kidding! I'm pretty great. But I swear you don't usually come to practice. I would have remembered a student as good as you."

"Oh. Sensei is actually my dad. We were understaffed, so he asked if I would help out…"

The girl snapped her fingers. "I knew you looked familiar! You go to Yozora High too, right?" At Nao and Himeko's shocked faces, the girl grinned wider and laughed. "No, no, I go there too! I knew I recognized you from somewhere." She bowed low, or as low as she could while sitting cross-legged. "I'm Ito Yoshi."

"Yamamoto Nao."

Yoshi turned to Himeko, who also introduced herself, and the three watched for a moment as Mr. Yamamoto slid one of this student's legs out from under him with his own foot and pushed him down easily. "See? …Noda! Don't let go of him when he falls, that's how you hurt people. Maintain your hold on him until he's down. This is practice, not a brawl!"

Nao turned to Yoshi. "You're not our grade, are you?"

"Hm? Oh, no, I'm a third year." She paused, staring at the other students in thought, but suddenly snapped her fingers and sat up straighter. "You guys are in the class at the east end of school, right?" Their nods were obviously what she was looking for. "The student council office is around there, too! I go over there a lot. That's probably why you guys look familiar."

"You're on student council?"

"No, but my-"

"Ito!" At the sound of her name, Yoshi looked up. Mr. Yamamoto was motioning for her to walk over, and she jumped to her feet. Nao and Himeko also rose, albeit at a slower pace. "Practice time," Yoshi said. "Nice to meet you both!" With that, she jogged over to the other side of the dojo to chat with Nao's father.

"She was nice," chirped Himeko, who began looking at the wall of pictures that were displayed on the wall nearest them.

Nao watched as her father talked to Yoshi, who looked crestfallen but hid her face as she bowed low. Nao looked away, feeling somehow like she had seen something she shouldn't have. In any case, Himeko waved her over.

"What's this?"

Crossing over and peering over Himeko's shoulder, Nao squinted at the piece of paper tacked to the wall. "Oh, this is a score sheet from the last tournament. See?" Nao put her finger on a name towards the bottom. "Fijumoto Isao. He's from our dojo. He came in tenth overall."

"How many people competed?"

"Um…eleven."

Himeko bit her lip, but Nao saw the almost smile there. "He tried his hardest, I'm sure," she finally said. Nao nudged her in the side, but turned her attention back to the score sheet.

"Do you think Ito is on here?" Himeko asked, twisting the end of one pigtail around her finger.

"Let me see…" Nao's eyes ran over the list, finally seeing the appropriate characters and wordlessly pointing at them on the paper. She and Himeko stood there for a long moment, just staring.

Eleventh place.

"How is that possible?" Himeko said, sneaking a look over at Yoshi, who was currently throwing Isao down like he wasn't six feet tall. Her motions were fluid and she placed her feet so _confidently_, like she knew nothing would knock her down, but was ready to move, to kick, at a second's notice. She was so…_good_.

Nao shook her head in disbelief.

_How did someone so talented get last place?_

* * *

"Can I help you, miss?"

"Yes." The woman threw her long braid of hair behind her shoulder impatiently, squinting at the old gate above her. _Yamamoto Dojo_. Her pink eyes narrowed, and her face split in a feral grin as she studied the young judo student in front of her.

"I wonder if you can help me find something."

* * *

"Maybe it was an off day?"

"I don't know, Himeko. I don't really think we should – that's kind of a personal thing-"

"Look, Nao," Himeko said, crossing her arms and frowning slightly. "Yoshi is-"

"I'm what?"

Nao and Himeko jumped, turning around to look at Yoshi, faces guilty. Yoshi was untying her headband and readjusting its place among her blonde curls, but paused as she saw their expressions. It took only a moment to puzzle it out. "You saw the chart, didn't you," she said, the light in her eyes dulling.

They nodded.

Exhaling, Yoshi stopped fiddling with her headband, her shoulders sagging and arms crossing over her chest protectively. She smiled, but it didn't meet her eyes. "It was my first tournament as a first kyu," she said, uncrossing her arms to fiddle with the knot on her purple belt. "I…I didn't perform very well." She shrugged. "It's okay. It happens."

Nao remembered Yoshi's face not thirty minutes ago as she spoke to Mr. Yamamoto. "You didn't place in the next tournament," she said, realization dawning, but as soon as she said it she felt horrible, reaching out towards Yoshi as if to take back her words; but Yoshi was already kicking her feet and looking downhearted.

"Yeah. Like I said, it happens." Noticing the crestfallen looks on Nao and Himeko's faces, she mentally backtracked. "No, I mean, it's not too bad! There are other tournaments! I just…" She shrugged again. "It's kind of a blow to your confidence, y'know? Don't worry, Himeko, I'll be okay."

"No…"

Yoshi's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "No?"

Nao stared at Himeko, who had gone white as a sheet and was gaping wide-eyed at the doorway. Following her gaze, Nao could only see a woman in a black uniform walking through the doorway, her long braid trailing behind her-

"Peria," Nao breathed, feeling her stomach lurch and her breathing seize for a moment.

"She found us," Himeko squeaked, taking a step back.

"Who found you?" Yoshi stared at the two, completely bewildered.

"We need to clear the room-!" Nao frantically looked around, but her eyes locked with Peria's, and in that moment she saw the recognition in her eyes, felt her body go cold. "No time," she managed, grabbing Himeko's hand and making a dash for the door. Yoshi squinted at them and followed, yelling after them for them to wait.

"Wh-?" Nao's father began, noticing the speedy exit.

"Bathroom!" Yoshi yelled back.

The courtyard of the dojo was almost empty, but after stepping foot into the area proper Nao stopped dead.

There was a body lying by the small pond, her uniform torn and her belt missing, exposing the bright pink tank top she wore beneath.

Nao ignored Himeko's cry of fright and fell to her knees beside the judo student – a shy girl by the name of Wakaba, Nao remembered – and very carefully pulled her mirror out of her pocket. With trembling hands, she held it right at the opening of Wakaba's mouth, and sighed in relief when the mirror fogged up immediately.

"She's still alive," she called back. "Just unconscious." Himeko's face cleared into a more easy concern, but Yoshi looked like she was lost.

"We're lucky Peria is impatient," Stella said, swooping down and landing on Himeko's shoulder. "If she thought she had time to burn, she may have been more violent."

Yoshi started and stepped back, eyes wide. "_What-_"

Himeko grabbed her hand. "There's no time!" She said, repeating Nao's words from earlier and dragging Yoshi behind some bushes. Nao left Wakaba lying in the courtyard, following the other three and crouching down with them.

Yoshi's face was dark with concern. "Why are we hiding?" She whispered. "Why can that bat talk?"

Nao opened her mouth to speak, but a large crashing sound distracted her, and all three humans ducked down. Peria had reached the courtyard, kicking over the small wooden shrine by the pond and snarling, "Where are you?!" She yelled, looking around, eyes glinting. She reminded Nao of a snake. "I was only here for the Starlight Shards, but imagine my delight when I found Pretty Cure here!" Her voice echoed over the empty courtyard, and Nao hoped everyone in the dojo had vacated.

"Singularity can sense the shards?" She whispered at Himeko, who shrugged.

"They must be using their shards to locate the others," she replied quietly, peering through branches. "They're drawn to each other."

Nao noticed for the first time that Himeko was clutching her own mirror – the back was a mint green, but unlike Nao's simple pink mirror, Himeko's had a small cluster of gems on three of the five points of the star – a ruby, an amethyst, and the other an emerald. Nao turned her attention back to the enemy, who had gone strangely quiet.

Peria stopped pacing, looking too calm for anyone to sit at ease. "If you won't come greet me," she said, her voice low and soft, "maybe you need an…_incentive_." From within her uniform pocket, she drew out something, held in her closed fist. She held her arm straight in front of her, hand still closed, and in the other hand-

"That's Wakaba's belt," Nao breathed, noticing the familiar blue sash, the same kind as Himeko's.

Peria opened her hand, exposing a small, black…something. It looked like a Starlight Shard, but instead of the clear, glass-like crystal, what Peria held was oily and dark, and gave off a light that made Nao ill at ease.

"The shards are becoming corrupted," Stella said from Himeko's shoulder, her voice cracking in fear. "Something's wrong with them!"

With a final, nasty grin, Peria dropped the Shard into the ground, and as it hit the ground, a large vortex appeared, sending wind and debris around the courtyard. "From the depths of space!" Peria yelled. "Uchui! Obey!"

The void seized, bucking upward and stretching, the void ripping around what looked to be a vague ghost of a person, the edges reforming like clouds or mist. Peria tossed the belt into the being's chest, and the sudden impact made the monster shock into being. As the smoke cleared, what stood before Peria was an enormous mummy, its entire body wrapped in light blue strands, its arms simply long threads of fabric that trailed on the ground and ended in sharp edges cut out to resemble claws. It towered over everyone, easily taller than the trees that surrounded the courtyard.

"_Uchuuuuuui!"_ It roared, stomping on the ground.

Nao turned to Himeko. "What _is_ that?!" She hissed, clutching her mirror in her hand so hard she could feel the points of the star digging into her palm.

Himeko had gone pale. "It's an Uchui. They're monsters from the void of space." Her hands were shaking. "They're supposed to be sealed away by the Dark Planet, but they're- they're _summoning _them -"

"Uh, guys," Yoshi ventured, cautiously, "I don't know what kind of game this is, but it's kind of…going over my head." She looked annoyed, but there was a glint of fear behind her eyes.

Nao was very quiet, still staring straight in front of her, but Himeko grabbed Stella off her shoulder, holding her like a teddy bear close to her chest. "Haha, yeah! It's so silly, isn't it? You caught us! Uh, it's, um-"

A light blue claw slashed through the bushes, filling the space between Himeko and Nao, slamming into the bamboo fence with a loud crash. Himeko shrieked, squeezing Stella so hard Nao could see the bat turn blue under her fur. Yoshi scuttled back with a yelp as well, staring dumbly as the Uchui retracted its arm.

"I found you, Pretty Cure," Peria cooed. "How lucky! I can kill two birds with one stone – no no no, wait, I can kill three birds _and still keep the stone_!" She threw back her head and laughed.

Nao rolled her eyes. "That's not even that funny," she muttered under her breath. There was a tingling sensation on her neck; like someone was watching her, but when she glanced around she saw nothing.

"_Don't insult the crazy lady's puns, Nao!_" Yoshi hissed, putting her hands on Himeko's shoulders and scrunching down behind her.

Nao plucked Stella out of Himeko's hands, ignoring her squawking in protest, and pushed her at Yoshi. "Hold this," she said, grabbing Himeko's arm and dragging her out from behind the bushes.

"Hey!" Yoshi squeaked, but the roar of the Uchui made her duck further behind the bushes. Stella clambered onto her head, holding on to her golden curls with her paws. As Nao darted away from their hiding place, she could hear Yoshi mutter, "this is _so_ strange."

_I feel you,_ she thought in solidarity, pulling out her mirror.

"Leave everyone here alone, Peria!" Himeko yelled out, and Nao noticed she also had her mirror at the ready. "Stop destroying this place!"

"Let me think on it for a sec," Peria said, examining her nails. "You know, I _could_, but you've made my job harder by scattering the Shards. So let's consider this…payback. Divine punishment, maybe." She spread her arms. "Think of how much glory I'll get if I get rid of Pretty Cure right here!"

In one swift movement, Nao and Himeko both raised their mirrors, closing their eyes. Wind picked up around them, causing their clothing and hair to flutter. They both took in a deep breath.

"**Pretty Cure! Cosmos Activate!"**

There was a bright flash. Even behind the bushes, Yoshi shielded her eyes. When the light faded, her honey-brown eyes blinked away the spots, and she rubbed at her eyes with her fists. "Augh." As the world came back into focus, she felt a small paw on her forehead.

"Don't worry," Stella assured her. "Pretty Cure is here to help! They won't let a civilian like you come to harm."

"You mean…Nao and…? Are…?"

"Yes. They were chosen to protect this world."

Yoshi drew her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them. "Wakaba was hurt, though."

Stella fell silent.

"The promise of infinite possibility! I am Cure Galaxy!" The pink warrior yelled, glaring Peria and standing with her legs shoulder-width apart.

"The brightest light in the dark! I am Cure Star!" The other one said, flipping her hair and mirroring Cure Galaxy's stance.

Peria jumped backwards, gracefully landing on the roof of the dojo and crouching there. She snapped her fingers, and the Uchui threw another arm toward the two. Galaxy and Star jumped out of the way, Star hitting the ground lightly before jumping back up to a standing position, ready to move if she had to. Galaxy skidded along the dirt, digging her fingers into the ground until she came to a halt, dust in the air around her.

"Galaxy?!" It was Star, her voice full of concern.

"I'm okay," Galaxy replied, wiping her mouth with a hand and standing upright. "We have to make sure the Uchui doesn't hurt anyone else! Keep it away from Wakaba and Yoshi!" She began running, making a beeline for the Uchui.

_I can run faster as Cure Galaxy,_ she thought, feeling how much _power_ she held. The Uchui's arm came down right in front of her, but she didn't falter, jumping high into the air and, using her inertia to vault forward, she threw out one leg and slammed it squarely onto the top of the Uchui's head at the bottom of her summersault. The Uchui roared again in pain, staggering forward and throwing its long arms up. One claw caught Galaxy in the stomach as she fell, hitting her roughly into the ground. She rolled a few feet, coughing as she tried to push herself up.

"_Galaxy_!" Star yelled, beginning to run toward her, but the Uchui's long arms both came down in front of her, blocking her path. She skidded, nearly falling at the impact, but caught herself in time to duck and stomp on the arms with all her power. The Uchui tried to wiggle free, but Star had wrapped her arms around the Uchui's and _pulled_. The Uchui, already unbalanced, teetered forward, and as it knelt down to catch itself before it fell, Cure Star had released her grip and her left fist was en route toward the Uchui's chest. The impact of her punch was extraordinary – the Uchui was made of light wrappings, and it wasn't nearly heavy enough to rebound in time. The Uchui was sent forcibly into the walls of the dojo, which crumbled easily under its mass.

Galaxy and Star stared in horror at the damage.

"My house!" Galaxy yelled, her hand going to her pigtails and tugging on them in distress.

"I'm-! I'm sorry! I'll fix it! I'm sorry!" Star said, arms flailing. "I'll- _urk_!"

The Uchui was down, but it certainly wasn't out. One arm had wrapped around Cure Star's waist, hoisting her up. She wiggled furiously, but the grip tightened. "Galaxy!" She yelled. "Please save me! I promise I didn't mean to break your house!" Frightened tears brimmed at her eyes and she kicked her feet futilely. She managed to work out one arm, and she began smacking the fabric that held her, but to no visible avail.

Galaxy gaped at her, but as she began to dash forward, the Uchui's other arm snaked around and encircled her feet, tripping Cure Galaxy and sending her sprawling. She, too, was raised high, held upside-down above Star. Galaxy tried to reach the bindings around her feet, but her stomach burned with the effort. She could see Peria, hands on her hips, and her upside-down smile was vicious.

"Star! What do we do?"

"Ummm…" Cure Star was wiggling her other arm out of the bindings, and with effort, she managed to free it as well. She panted with the effort, exhaling as soon as she had mobility. "Try to get free!"

Galaxy tried to touch her toes, straining, pushing her arms further…_yes_! She grasped the bindings around her feet, clutching them in her grasp – hard. The Uchui sensed her movement, letting go of her for a moment. Galaxy screamed as she suddenly began to fall, but the Uchui grabbed her around the waist, clamping her arms at her side and hoisting her up. Galaxy looked unamused.

"Well, I did my best," she said tonelessly. Star wasn't looking at her, but had…her mirror? Galaxy squinted as Cure Star turned it over in her hand, placing her palm over the back of it. The mirror began glowing faintly as she pulled her hand away, and Galaxy was close enough to see a small, bright gem blink into existence, gold in color. The mirror shone, and Cure Star tapped her palm against the surface of the mirror twice, and then turned the mirror down towards the ground.

Something fell out and splashed into the pond with a small _blip_.

"What was that?" Galaxy said, staring at the ripples.

Star ignored her, turning her head towards the bushes Yoshi was in. "Get the mirror! It's in the pond!" She yelled.

Galaxy saw Peria's head jerk towards the pond, and she jumped off the roof, striding toward the small pond, her face a mask of anger.

Yoshi was faster.

She hadn't been behind the bushes at all, and in fact had been slowly crawling around the perimeter, ducking behind rocks and shrubs as she made her way around. She had been carrying a large stick, and although Stella had made it very clear it wouldn't do any good, it made her feel slightly safer. She didn't stop until she was directly underneath Peria. She heard Cure Star yelling. She saw Peria jump down from the roof.

Yoshi dropped the stick as she ran towards Peria, crouching down and swiping a leg at Peria's feet. It was more than enough to knock her legs out from under her, sending the dark-haired woman to the ground falling hard on her back.

High above, Cure Star cheered. "Fight, Yoshi! Fight! Is that a Judo move?"

"Looks more like a Yoshi move," Galaxy replied.

Peria propped herself up on her arms, glaring daggers at Yoshi, who had already made it to the pond. Her tanned arm darted into the cold water, grabbing the yellow mirror that had sunk to the bottom of the shallow pool. She turned to face Peria, crouched and ready to fight.

Peria pounded her fist into the dirt in frustration. "You'll pay for this," she hissed between her teeth.

"Hold the mirror up!" Star yelled. "Hurry!"

Yoshi half-turned at the sound of Cure Star's voice, but began to lift her arm. Peria launched forward, her fist raised, but at the last second Yoshi side-stepped her, and Peria tumbled into the pond. She spluttered and coughed, her eyes narrowing. "_Fine_," she snapped. "Have it your way! Uchui, kill them all!"

She evaporated into dark smoke in front of them, and the Uchui obediently began to squeeze Cure Galaxy and Cure Star, causing them to cry out in pain.

"Y-yoshi! You have to help!" Cure Star called down.

"With what? A _mirror_?" Yoshi yelled, looking panicked.

"Just – h-hold it up! You'll know- what to do!" Star managed, her breathing becoming shallow as the Uchui continued to crush the two Pretty Cures in its grip.

Yoshi stared at the mirror in her hand. It felt warm. "Here goes," she mumbled, and held it up as high as she could manage. Her eyes closed, and she felt a rush of strength flow through her.

"**Pretty Cure! Cosmos activate!"**

A burst of gold flame surrounded her, and in a flash, her curls had lightened and lengthened, her judo outfit transformed into a yellow dress, a costume that wasn't unlike the ones Cure Galaxy and Cure Star wore. She turned; the mirror affixed to her chest, and curled her hand into a fist and extended her thumb to jab at the mirror.

"The fire of a beautiful dream! I am Cure Solar!"

The newly christened Cure Solar didn't stop to wonder why she had suddenly transformed. She snapped her fingers, making twin peace signs with her index and middle fingers that touched at the fingertips, placing them over the mirror.

"How dare you come into this place and cause destruction!" She yelled. The mirror on her chest began glowing gold. "Go back to…wherever you came from, and _leave us alone_!"

She swung her arms behind her. "_Pretty Cure_…"

In a rough motion, she slammed her arms forward in an arc. "..._Rising Flare_!"

As her arms extended in front of her, her fingertips began to glow, trailing gold light as they moved forward. As the last syllable left her mouth, the glow supercharged, and four beams of light shot out towards the Uchui, striking it through the torso and carving huge holes out of its body. It dropped Galaxy and Star, roaring in pain as the gold glow overtook its entire body, unravelling the cords. Wakaba's belt fell to the ground, unscathed, but the shadowy figure writhed, evaporating into nothingness. A small black crystal fell on top of the light blue judo belt.

The dojo was eerily silent.

Solar fell to her knees, sighing in relief. "I did it," she murmured. "I…won." Galaxy and Star had dropped safely to the ground, and Cure Star ran over to Solar, throwing her arms around her in a huge hug.

"I knew you could do it! I knew you'd make a good member of Pretty Cure!" She squealed in delight. "You saved us all!"

Solar frowned in confusion. "I don't know how I did any of that," she said, pulling away from the hug.

"Don't worry. I'll explain everything.

Galaxy reached her hand toward the corrupted Starlight Shard, but as she cupped it in her hand, the black sheen around it evaporated, leaving a sparkling pink gem behind. She rolled it around in her hand, walking back toward the other two members of Pretty Cure as the buildings wavered, the destruction disappearing and the area shifting back to its clean, fixed state.

_What have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

"I can't _believe_ you guys got me caught up in all this," Yoshi griped, hands in the pockets of her track jacket. The three girls were sitting by the pond, all feeling slightly rumpled and extremely exhausted. Stella was lying with her wings outstretched on Himeko's lap.

"Sorry," Nao and Himeko both said in unison.

The three girls had run back inside immediately after the fight, reporting Wakaba's collapse, and Mr. Yamamoto had rushed to call the hospital. The verdict was a concussion, although nobody was really sure how she had managed to get one. The rest of practice had been cancelled. Nao still had no idea how nobody had noticed a giant monster in the courtyard, and didn't know whether it bothered her or not.

"Points for originality, though. I really couldn't have called my day ending like this," Yoshi continued.

"Sorry," they said again.

"You should be!" Stella griped. "Giving the mirrors out at random – there's usually a selection process to this, Princess. You've just been throwing them at whomever! Hardly a way for a royal to choose her knights."

Himeko bowed her head in defeat. "I know, I know." She brightened quickly. "But hey! Yoshi did well! She's obviously qualified!" She clasped her hands together and sighed happily. "I knew it as soon as I saw her in the judo lessons."

Yoshi stretched her arms up, arching her back and tilting her head until she heard the _pop_. "This was probably the weirdest day I've ever had," She said, dropping her hands and leaning back. "But it's kind of exciting, in a way. Fighting monsters, saving the world. That kind of thing." She grinned. "Really puts the last-place position in perspective, huh?"

Himeko shrugged, but beamed at Yoshi. "You won't have time for tournaments when you're saving the universe, anyways!"

Nao gave Himeko a sideways look. "You never said there would be monsters."

Himeko suddenly became _very_ interested in her pigtails.

Nao sighed.

"Girls!" Mrs. Yamamoto called from the doorway, light spilling out on the darkening courtyard. "Do any of you want some tea?"

"I do!" Himeko stuffed Stella in the front of her judo uniform, bolting towards the house.

"Hey, what! I'm oldest, I get seniority!" Yoshi ran after her, catching up easily with her long strides.

"You're only a year older than me!"

"Yeah, and as the wise 17-year-old, I say me first!"

"I'm _royalty_! That gives me extra seniority!"

Nao listened as the bickering voices faded into the house before she stood up, making her way back to the house slowly, but didn't go inside just yet. Instead, she looked up at the sky, as the sun wavered on the horizon. Suddenly taken with an idea, Nao dug around in her pockets to find the Starlight Shard, holding it carefully in her hand. She held it up so it caught the last rays of sunlight, and the pink shard glowed, illuminating her face and making her fingers tingle with the sudden energy.

"It'll be okay, right?" She whispered.

And, so faintly Nao was sure she had made it up, there was a small chime.

Closing her fingers around the shard and settling her hand on her chest near her heart, Nao took one long, last look at the darkening sky before turning around and heading inside. It had been a long day.

* * *

**Next Time on Starlight Pretty Cure!**

Himeko: I'm so glad you've joined Pretty Cure, Yoshi! Now it's us three against…a lot!

Nao: That doesn't really make me feel better…

Yoshi: Aw, it'll be okay! After all, I'm one-of-a-kind!

Himeko: Then who's _that_?! A doppelganger?

Yoshi: Oh, right. About that…

Nao: Next time! "_The Genius Violinist! Return his precious violin to us!"_


	4. The Genius Violinist!

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, it's the perfect day for tea on the porch, isn't it?" Himawari beamed at her sister, who was sitting nearby bundled up in three sweaters. Her face poked out, red from the excessive heat, and she had a sullen look on her face as she sipped her tea.

"It really isn't cold enough for that," Himawari said pointedly.

"Yeah, I sort of regret most of these layers."

"The joke's not worth it, huh?"

"Not really."

Nao began shrugging off the first sweater, but as she pulled it over her head and brushed her hair back into place, she noticed someone walking into the courtyard. They had blonde hair and tanned skin, and wore a dark-colored peacoat. Nao threw her sweater backwards into the house, squinting at the person to get a better look.

"Isn't that Yoshi?"

Himawari followed her sister's gaze. "Didn't she already arrive, like, two hours ago?"

Nao shrugged, waving her arm to get Yoshi's attention. "Yoshi! Over here?"

They looked around, and then pointed at themselves, puzzled.

"Yeah! We have tea!"

They raised their hand in acknowledgement, walking over to the two sisters and stopping just before the porch.

Himawari squinted. Nao squinted.

The person standing in front of them was most certainly _not_ Yoshi, but the resemblance was startling and uncanny, down to the big grin, curly hair, and mass of freckles on their face.

"Um, sorry. I'm not actually Yoshi," they said in a voice much deeper than Yoshi's own, apologetic smile on their face as they adjusted the violin case under their arm.

Himawari took a sip of tea and looked the kid over. "You look _incredibly _like her. Sorry about that."

"Oh, it's no trouble. I get that a lot."

Nao's squint deepened. "You…do?"

Not-Yoshi looked puzzled for a moment, but then their face cleared. "Oh! She must not have told you! I'm her twin brother, Ito Kiharu. It's nice to meet you." He bowed low.

Nao and Himawari stared at Kiharu for a long moment.

"...Whaaaaaaaaaat?!"

* * *

_Episode 4_: "The Genius Violinist! Return His Precious Violin to Us!"

* * *

"She never said anything about a twin," Nao said, giving Kiharu a cup of tea. He had sat down near the sisters, placing his violin case carefully down next to him. The small baubles connected to the handle of his violin chimed with the movement.

Kiharu laughed as he accepted the small porcelain teacup. "That's Kiyoshi for you. She likes to assume that people would see the resemblance and put two and two together, but we look so similar we just get mistaken for each other all the time."

"Kiyoshi?"

"Oh, her full name. She goes by Yoshi so it's less confusing for people. Kiharu and Kiyoshi can be pretty easily mixed up, especially since the first kanji in our names is the same."

"Oh," Nao nodded. It sounded reasonable to her.

Himawari broke in. "We don't usually see you at the dojo, do we?"

Kiharu shook his head. "I usually have violin practice right now, but today is off since we just had a concert."

"I wish I could play an instrument," Nao said thoughtfully. "I always thought it would be nice to learn piano or something."

"It's not as hard as you'd think."

"That's because you're a musical prodigy, Haru," Yoshi broke in, walking toward them with her school bag slung over her shoulder and her usual goldenrod track jacket on. "Not everyone can look at a sheet of music once and play it perfectly."

Nao waggled her fingers at her in greeting. "We didn't hear you come up."

"Yeah, we walk quietly. Comes with taking a martial art."

"We?"

"Yeah, me and-" Yoshi turned around to see that it was just her standing there, the lone figure in front of the other three. "…Ok, well, Isao _was_ just behind me."

"It's because he saw me. I don't think he likes me very much," Kiharu mused.

Yoshi crossed her arms, thinking. "He doesn't ever seem to want to talk to you. What did you _do_ to him, Haru?"

"_Me?_ Excuse me, but who was it that broke his arm last year?"

"_That was an accident_-"

Nao vaguely remembered the incident – Isao fell down a hill and actually ended up chipping a bone in his elbow, which wasn't like breaking his arm but still managed to make him miss about two weeks of practice. It was strange to think that it was Yoshi who had accidentally caused the whole thing. Nao wondered how long she'd been coming to the dojo.

"Anyways, why are you here?" Yoshi's voice broke Nao out of her memories. "You don't usually come to the dojo on your days off."

"Oh, right," Kiharu said, reaching for his violin case and holding it up to Yoshi. "I have to actually go back to school to help the student council figure out this year's budget and look over club applications, so I was wondering if you could go get a new string for this."

Yoshi took the handle, carefully inspecting it before looking back at her brother. "It's kind of out of the way…"

Kiharu clasped his hands together. "Please, Kiyoshi? It would really help me out! I don't have time to do it before practice tomorrow!" He checked his watch and stood up. "I'd owe you a lot…" he trailed off, looking at his twin hopefully.

Yoshi sighed in mock exasperation. "I _guess_ I can help you out." She looked at Nao. "Wanna come with? It's not that far and anyways, there's something, uh, club related I wanted to talk about."

Nao nodded, leaning backwards and reaching an arm out to grab a pair of her shoes from right inside the doorway. "Sure."

Himawari looked affronted. "You never do errands for me!"

"It's because you're just too lazy to walk over to the fridge and get it yourself."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you can't help me out every once in a while!"

Kiharu's face brightened and he gave his sister a huge hug, ignoring the Yamamoto sisters and their bickering. "Thank you! I'm off, but I owe you big time!" He scuttled toward the entrance, waving at the girls over his shoulder. "See you at home!" He called, before rounding the gate and disappearing.

Yoshi pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked the time. "I hope he doesn't miss the train," she muttered, but replaced her phone and gave Nao an expectant look. "You ready to go? The store isn't too far; it's like a ten minute walk from here."

"I'm ready," Nao said, sliding on her ballet flats and jumping to her feet. "I'll be back in a bit, Himawari."

As they walked to the gate, Nao could hear Himawari yelling at their backs, "Can you pick me up some green tea ice cream popsicles when you're out?"

Nao threw her a sulky look over her shoulder.

"You're gonna stop by and get them, aren't you," Yoshi whispered.

Nao's face was like thunder.

* * *

Anger echoed in the halls of the Dark Castle.

"_I hate them_!" Peria roared in rage, picking up a ceramic pot from a nearby plinth and throwing it at the wall with all her might. It shattered in a shower of dust, making a satisfying cracking sound. "How dare they-!" She picked up another, but as she raised her arms to throw the pot, something grabbed her wrist, shocking her and causing her to drop it. It clattered to the ground with a dull thunk, rolling a few feet away and stopping gently against the wall.

"Let go of me," she hissed.

The girl holding her wrist said nothing. Her dark hair was curled on the sides of her face in tight finger rolls, and her pink eyes were the same shade as Peria's. They narrowed, and the girl let go of Peria roughly, throwing her arm away from her dismissively and withdrawing back inside the dark cape she wore. "Night _said_ not to underestimate Pretty Cure." Her voice was quiet and monotone.

Peria rubbed her wrist, sulking. "Go away, Apoa," she muttered, but there was no real hostility in her voice.

"You almost had them."

"I said _go away_."

"You could have killed the Princess and her knight, and destroyed the other before she could activate the-"

"I said _go away!_" Peria wheeled around, her eyes wild. "I don't need a performance evaluation, especially from _you_!"

She was breathing heavily from anger, and her chest felt tight. She sank to the ground, crouching with her forehead resting on her knees. Apoa stared at her, unblinking.

"You're too irrational."

Peria didn't move.

"Are you unfit to continue?" Apoa asked.

Peria's head jerked up, glaring daggers. "No," she hissed through clenched teeth.

"Then why," Apoa said, "have you decided you've lost?" She turned around, walking away from Peria with long, slow strides. "I never realized you accepted defeat so easily." She stopped, looking over her shoulder at Peria. "...what a waste."

Peria ducked her head again, listening as the footsteps started up again and receded down the hall and eventually became too faint to hear. By her feet, a small shard of pottery rested, and with careful fingers she picked it up and ran her thumb over the smooth surface.

She tossed it back on the ground and stood up. She crossed over to the other side of the hall, staring for a long moment at the intact pot before smashing her foot into it, grinding the ceramic into dust, feeling the grit underneath her boot and the sharp edges scraping against the fabric.

"I don't lose," she said quietly.

* * *

"So, Kiharu is on student council?"

"Yeah, he's historian."

"…and they're approving new clubs?"

"Don't worry," Yoshi winked at Nao. "I know two people on the council, so I'm pretty sure that's enough pull to get a club passed." She looked thoughtful. "It's a good club idea anyways, so I doubt there'll be any issues."

The shops on the street were packing up their outside displays, some signs already reading "_closed_." The sun was hovering around the horizon, bathing the area in an orange-red light, the tops of the trees golden with the last rays of sun. Nao wished she brought another jacket, shoving her hands in her sweater pockets, but Yoshi's legs were longer than hers and she found herself walking quickly to keep even. She'd warm up from the exercise.

"Who's the other person you know on the student council?" She asked. "I think you mentioned them before."

"Oh," Yoshi said, trying to look dismissive but failing, "she's my…my best friend." Her face lit up. "Her name is Ueda Riko – you may have seen her around the second floor. She's got hair that covers her face, like this." Yoshi put her hand up to obscure her right eye, grinning. "She's the treasurer." Her smile softened into something halfway between embarrassed and bashful, her cheeks turning a lovely shade of pink. "But- I mean- You don't want to hear me talk about that. I'll introduce you someday."

They passed a small bookstore Nao liked to stop into on weekends, the closed sign flicking on as they walked past. "How late is the music shop open?" She asked, and Yoshi seemed to jump at the change of subject.

"It doesn't close for a while," Yoshi said, checking the time again. "Anyways, we just need to drop this off. Kiharu wouldn't ask us to deliver it unless he knew we'd have time."

Nao nodded. "You guys look really similar. You and your brother, I mean. I didn't realize fraternal twins could look almost identical."

Yoshi grinned. "We're special, is all. Even when we were little kids people got us mixed up a lot." She shrugged it off. "Anyways, enough about my brother. I wanted to ask you about this Pretty Cure stuff."

"Like what?"

"Well, um, more specifically, the Starlight Shards."

"Yes…?" Nao asked. _Where is Yoshi going with this…?_

Yoshi stopped walking and held up a small packet with a small pattern of pastel stars on the brocade, one of the charms Kiharu had attached to his violin case. When Yoshi shook it, it chimed very faintly.

Nao stopped dead, staring at it. "That sounds…"

"Like a Starlight Shard? Yeah." Yoshi opened the envelope and shook the contents of it into her hand.

A pale yellow crystal fell out.

Yoshi and Nao stared at it for a long moment.

"How did he get one of _those_?" Nao asked, perplexed.

Yoshi shrugged. "I think he bought it a couple days ago at the shrine downtown for good luck at the concert. It's the newest addition."

"Not the _omamori_, the shard! What would you usually find in them? Just pieces of wood, right?" Nao said, taking the shard from Yoshi. It had the same familiar warmth as the other ones.

"I don't know. I've never opened one. You're not really supposed to, right?"

Nao extended her hand back at Yoshi. "Then we shouldn't have-"

"The concert's over, it's fine," Yoshi said, waving Nao's hand away. "We can…a_ha_!" She bent down and scooped up a small pebble from the street that looked to be the same size as the Starlight Shard. She tucked it back in the packet and folded it shut once more, reattaching it to the violin case.

Nao frowned, but slipped the shard into her pocket. "Won't the charm stop working now?"

"Not necessarily." Yoshi shook her head, her curls tumbling around her face. "It's less about what the charm _is_ and more what the person believes it to be. Kiharu believes it works so whether it's a shard or a pebble inside, it'll keep giving him luck. It's his faith in it that powers it." She paused. "I hope."

A guilty expression crossed her face for a moment, but Nao quickly chimed in with "I won't tell him if you don't. He'll replace it again next year, anyways."

Yoshi smiled in gratitude, and they began walking again.

"You didn't strike me as the type to really believe in good luck charms," Nao added, clasping her arms behind her back as she walked.

Yoshi laughed, scratching her cheek in embarrassment. "It's not that, I just…" Her expression became thoughtful. "Ever since this Pretty Cure stuff, I've been second guessing a lot. Like, if I can transform into a magical warrior, maybe things like good luck charms being real aren't so far-fetched. I used to get them a lot as a kid, but I never really believed they worked." She smiled down at the ground. "But now…it kind of makes me hopeful."

They walked in comfortable silence the rest of the way to the store.

* * *

"_Closed_?"

Yoshi and Nao stood in front of the store front, dusk falling around them.

"How can it be closed? The sun hasn't even yet!" Yoshi said, checking the time again.

"What are the hours?" Nao leaned in, inspecting the small, handwritten notice to the right of the door. "Let's see…Wednesday, it's…."

Yoshi crowded up against her, violin case tucked under her arm. "It's not open?" She said in disbelief. "That's- that's so _stupid_!" Nao looked over at her. Yoshi was biting her thumbnail, looking frustrated. "It was supposed to be open!"

Nao straightened up. "It's getting dark…"

Yoshi gave her a look of dismay. "But I…I can't leave! Kiharu asked me-"

"But they're closed. There's nothing you can do now…" Nao saw the gleam in Yoshi's eyes and felt a vague sense of unease.

"Kiharu always puts his violin in the same place when he wants it to be fixed and Mr. Akimaru is busy. If I can just…"

Nao watched in amazement as Yoshi plucked a bobby pin from her hair – she used them to help keep her headband in place during judo – and stuck it into the lock, wiggling it around expertly.

"Do you even know how to pick a lock?"

"Nope," Yoshi replied. "I saw someone do this in a movie once, though."

Nao sighed and looked around, noticing something at the back of the building and hitting Yoshi's shoulder lightly with the back of her hand. "There's a window open. If you boost me up I can probably sneak through and let you in."

Yoshi looked long and hard at the bobby pin, now bent and twisted from being jammed in the lock, and tossed it aside to follow Nao.

* * *

The interior of the shop was dark, but clean and warm. Nao carefully picked her way into the main room, her arms sore and burning from squeezing into the small opening in the window. Yoshi had done her best to get Nao to the right height, not even complaining when Nao stood on her shoulders to hoist herself up, but she had managed to fall face-first onto the floor anyways. Her nose still smarted, but she considered it a victory.

_I can't believe I'm breaking into a shop to _leave_ something…_

She unlocked the bolts and opened the shop door. It chimed pleasantly.

"I'm home," Yoshi said, the joke apparent in her voice.

"Welcome back," Nao said on reflex, closing the door behind Yoshi. "Let's just leave the violin and leave."

There was a soft noise at the door. Nao turned toward it, the hairs at the back of her neck pricking, but there was nothing, nobody standing there.

"Yoshi! Did you hear that?" She whispered hoarsely.

"Hear what?" Yoshi said, halfway to the back counter. "I didn't hear anythi-"

There was a nasty cracking sound from the front door, the doorknob splintering and clattering to the floor. It rolled away into the shelves of cellos and music stands.

"What a dingy shop."

Peria pushed open the door with her fingertips, striding in and trailing her hand on the counter.

Nao took a step backwards, already on the defensive. "Did you follow us?" She asked.

Peria rolled her eyes. "I have better things to do than chase after little girls pretending to be heroes." She snapped her fingers, and the violin case bucked in Yoshi's grip. Her fingers sought for purchase on the smooth plastic case, but it had been yanked out of her hands, floating over to Peria and gently lowering into her outstretched hands. "I'm here for the shard. It's in here, isn't it? Why else would you be hiding it?"

Nao's hand brushed against her pocket.

Yoshi snorted angrily. "That's not- Let go! Don't touch that!" She stomped forward, but Nao threw her arm out in a silent protest against her movement. Yoshi froze.

"She doesn't know the shard isn't in there," Nao breathed, and Yoshi nodded imperceptibly.

"What are you two whispering about?" Peria snapped, opening the clasps of the case and yanking the violin out roughly by the neck. The case she threw to the ground. Yoshi threw her arm out as if to stop her, but Nao kept her arm up.

_Not yet._

"There's no shard here," Peria groused, nudging the violin case with her foot and turning her angry gaze onto the two girls. "Was _this _really all you were trying to protect?" she shoved the violin in Yoshi's direction.

"It's precious to me," Yoshi said through clenched teeth.

"I can't imagine why," Peria mused, picking up the snapped string with her index finger and thumb as if it was a worm. "It's _broken_."

Yoshi's hands clenched into fists, and Nao could see her face turning red.

"Oh well," Peria said. "If you're not going to tell me where the shard is, I'll just have to beat it out of you."

From her pocket, she withdrew a Starlight Shard, throwing the dull crystal at the floor. "From the depths of space…Uchui! Obey!" She watched with manic eyes as the shadow appeared from the void and stretched toward the ceiling. Stifling a harsh laugh, Peria stared at Yoshi, keeping eye contact as she shoved Kiharu's violin into the chest of the smoky figure.

Nao could hear Yoshi whimper a small, quiet "no." The Uchui that towered before them was a massive violin, narrow eyes with slit pupils situated on the scroll, the bridge warped into a snarling mouth. Two arms ending in claws that sprouted from the corners. Two thin, jagged legs.

"Make them pay for getting my clothes wet," she said, snapping her fingers. The Uchui roared in agreement, its back brushing against the ceiling and its wooden shoulders and neck pushing up roughly, causing it to crack, claws slashing at the walls for leverage. The ceiling crumbled easily, sending huge slabs of the broken roof towards Nao and Yoshi.

Nao threw her arms up as debris and dust was thrown up, the ground shaking under her feet, the Uchui roaring once more. It almost sounded like Godzilla in the old movies, and coming from an enormous violin with arms and legs would have made it even funnier, except it was trying to kill her. She didn't feel much like laughing in the face of that fact.

Blinking her pink eyes against the dust, she saw Yoshi standing not five feet away, a huge purple bruise developing on her arm from where she shielded herself from a falling roof beam. Yoshi caught her gaze, and their eyes locked. They nodded.

_It's time._

In unison, they pulled out their mirrors.

"**Pretty Cure! Cosmos Activate!"**

Peria slid to the side, turning against the bright pink and gold glows that flooded through the store. In a shower of pink sparks and gold flame, Cure Galaxy and Cure Solar stood in the middle of the debris.

"The promise of infinite possibility! I am Cure Galaxy!"

"The fire of a beautiful dream! I am Cure Solar!"

"Feels wrong to do this without Star," Solar muttered, but the Uchui was faster than it appeared, reaching its huge arms out to grab Solar – but Solar was much, much faster. She easily evaded its grip, crouching before jumping high. Her leg lashed out, catching the side of the head of the Uchui in a powerful kick.

It staggered to the side, but Cure Galaxy was waiting for it, spinning, the momentum carrying her fist forward and hitting the Uchui square in the middle of the face before it could hit the ground. The monster recoiled, shrieking, falling backwards and writhing in pain.

Cure Solar landed lightly on her feet.

"We're finishing this," she said, making the peace signs and touching her fingertips together, but she hesitated.

Galaxy cupped her hands around her mouth. "It won't harm Kiharu's violin!" She yelled. "Destroy it!"

Solar nodded, placing her fingers so that they surrounded the mirror attached to her dress. _"Pretty Cure…Rising Flare!"_

The Uchui reeled as the magic attack hit it square in the chest. It crashed to the floor, smoking, its wooden exterior cracking and damaged, but it didn't dissolve. It was moving slowly, struggling to get back up, but not destroyed.

"It wasn't enough-!" Solar gasped. She spun to face Galaxy. "Use your magic!"

"I don't know how!" Cure Galaxy squeaked, holding her hands up in front of her in defense. "I've never-!" But her words died in her mouth when she saw the desperation and fear on Solar's face. _We don't have Star or Stella with us today_, Galaxy realized. _If we can't manage to take the Uchui down, we're toast._ She swallowed – hard – and turned to face the struggling Uchui.

She felt strange, like her body wasn't her own, her arms moving of their own accord. She felt like she was watching herself move, walking forward and standing perpendicular to the monster. "I hope this works," she whispered.

She made a heart with her hands, placing them over the star mirror on her chest, and closed her eyes. She could _feel_ the power, the magic. It had the same resonance as the Starlight Shards. She could feel the Shard, too, tucked away safe in the pocket of her sweater.

The mirror on her chest began glowing pink.

"You underestimated us again," Cure Galaxy said, her eyes snapping open. "_Pretty Cure…_" She threw her arms up, over her head; hands still cupped together holding the glow carefully between them. "_Shining Heart!_" She slammed her arms down, the glow following the trail of her arms and acting much like a whip, crashing down over the Uchui and tearing the wooden body clean in two. The Uchui's roar faded out as its entire body began to glow pink, the wood splintering and dissolving, the shadowy figure twisting up into the darkening sky. Kiharu's violin clattered to the ground unscathed.

Peria was thrown back by the force of the blast, sending her sprawling into the pile of destroyed instruments with a heavy crash. She pushed herself up, teetering unsteadily on her feet, long strands of stray hair obscuring her face.

Her expression was murderous.

Without a word, she opened up a void behind her, turning on her heel and disappearing into the murky depths.

As it snapped shut behind her, Cure Galaxy could almost make out words, but they were lost in the smoke of the void, and that, too, soon vanished.

* * *

"I'm sorry you couldn't get the violin to the store on time," Cure Galaxy said, kicking at some rubble in the middle of the shop. She knew that the store would reform, the walls rebuilding and the destroyed instruments becoming whole once more, but it still made her uneasy. It was a magic fix she wasn't used to.

She should have bruises, cracked ribs. Yoshi's nasty bruise from the building collapsing had disappeared, leaving her arm unblemished. Galaxy looked around at the deep claw marks in the walls. She closed and opened her fist around the blue Starlight Shard, retrieved from the dissolved Uchui, wondering if she would rather have scars. "Kind of like a record of survival," she mumbled to the open shop as the rubble disappeared, the store shelves fading back to their bolted place on the walls, the glass moving in slow motion back into the window.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," Nao said, her sweater and leggings fading back onto her body as she resumed her civilian form. Yoshi was already ahead of her, placing the violin reverently back in its case and arranging the broken string in line with the others. It was a miracle it hadn't broken further. "You ready to go?" Nao asked, motioning at the door, which was reforming in front of them in long splinters. Yoshi nodded, and the two members of Pretty Cure jumped over the door and the cracked wall, hearing the building set back behind them.

Nao turned around. There was no record of the shop ever having been destroyed. It looked perfect, peaceful. She turned to Yoshi, who was also looking back, and her expression mirrored Nao's unease.

"I'll never get used to that," Yoshi said, sticking her hands in her jacket pockets.

"Me either," Nao agreed, and as the stars began to appear in the sky, the two began walking home, only stopping once at the 24-hour convenience store to pick up Himawari's popsicles. They helped themselves to two each as a reward for their hard work.

Himawari had bought a pack for herself, anyways.

* * *

**Next time on Starlight Pretty Cure!**

Himeko: Wow! You found _two_ Starlight Shards? I knew you both would be good Pretty Cures!

Yoshi: All in a day's work! Although I'm still not sure how the one got in my brother's good luck charm…

Nao: I guess it's a mystery we'll never solve.

Yoshi: Speaking of mysteries, I've been having really, really weird dreams lately!

Nao: Can we talk about this later? My sister wants me to run errands…

Himeko: But there's a new kind of Uchui on the loose!

Nao: Next time on Starlight Pretty Cure: "Geez! My sister is such a pain! What do I do?"


	5. Geez! My Sister is Such a Pain!

Apoa took a sip of tea, but poured it out onto the marble floor of the great hall. "This tastes over seeped," she said. Her tone, as always, was level and bored, but the annoyance on her face was unmistakable.

The girl to her right, ash-white hair pulled into two spiky ponytails, was gulping the tea down happily. "It tastes fine to me," she said, licking her lips and happily reaching for the teapot to refresh her cup. Apoa stared at her blankly, pity etched into her features.

The great hall was dimly lit by lanterns, but the wall was glass, filled with floor to ceiling windows that revealed the perpetual night sky. You could see nebulae and thick clusters of stars from where the long table was situated, dark hills dissolving into the ink black sky. It was a beautiful view. Apoa hated it.

"Eki, stop slurping," she said, and Eki wiped her mouth on her sleeve and stuck her tongue out.

The doors opened, sliding noiselessly apart as Night walked in. Apoa and Eki stood to welcome her.

"Lord Garandou has retired to his rooms for the night," she said, voiced muffled behind her mask.

"Is there something he needs of us?" Eki asked, nervous. Her hands were clenched on the table.

Night inclined her head. "Our Lord is simply tired. He's gone to sleep early." Eki looked visibly more relaxed. "But we've been asked to gather…some good dreams for him." She turned to Apoa, who nodded.

"Understood."

* * *

_Episode 5:_ "Geez! My Sister is Such a Pain! What do I do?"

* * *

"-speaking of which, I had a terrible dream last night."

Nao looked over at Kimiko, who was sitting next to her on the train to school, looking out the window pensively. "A bad dream?"

"Yeah. I was trapped underwater and couldn't break the surface. It was terrible!" Kimiko shuddered, drawing her shoulders up to her ears and shaking her head. Her ringlets fanned out at the sudden motion. "It took me like, an hour to get back to sleep."

Nao gave her a sympathetic pat on her knee, and Kimiko took her hand and squeezed it. "I'll soldier on," she said in mock distress.

"I'm sure you will," Nao said, but there was something in her voice – an edge that Kimiko picked up on.

"What?"

"It's just…" Nao hesitated. "I think I had a similar dream, is all. Being stuck and not being able to get out. I don't remember most of it but I do remember that."

Kimiko's nose wrinkled as she thought. "That's a pretty crazy coincidence!" She said, and then moved on, wondering what she was going to eat for lunch today, and did you see Kousuke's new shoes? They were pretty cool. He'd probably wear them today.

Nao stared out the window.

* * *

"What? You had the same dream as me?" Himeko's eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and she blinked several times in awe. "What're the chances we'd have the same nightmare?"

"I don't know!" Kimiko said, looking just as awestruck. "Does this mean-"

"-we're connected!" Himeko clasped Kimiko's hands in hers and they both sighed dramatically. Nao rolled her eyes.

"It means you're feeling restricted," a voice said to Nao's right. Nao turned, pretending to be looking out the window, but kept an ear on the conversation. A girl with her purple hair pulled into two messy buns was talking to another gaggle of students, reading something out of a book. Nao couldn't see the title.

"To dream that you are trapped or caught in a trap suggests that you are feeling confined and restricted," the girl with purple hair continued. There was the sound of pages being flipped. "And water stands for your emotional state, so if you're underwater you're being literally immersed in your feelings. Combined, I'd say it means you're feeling trapped by some sort of emotional barrier." The girls were gasping, and began chattering between themselves about what it could mean.

Nao turned back to Kimiko and Himeko, who were now deep in a conversation over a comic they both liked.

_They had the same dream as Kimi did._

Nao thought about it all day. She puzzled over it as she ran laps during physical education. She turned over the possibilities and theories during math. On the train home, it distracted her, and she wished Kimiko a robotic "goodbye" as her friend got off at her stop.

_They all had the same dream._

Nao moved automatically back home, and didn't snap out of her thoughts until a hand karate-chopped the top of her head.

"Nao! You're late!"

Wincing and rubbing the sore spot on her head, Nao blinked up at her sister. "Wh-"

"Come on, we're going out on the town today! Sister Shopping Day!"

Nao stared at her blankly, for a moment unable to recognize her sister. Himawari had curled her hair, and it waved gently around her shoulders. She had on a pencil skirt and a nice blouse and blazer, even a pair of stilettos that had obviously been borrowed from Mrs. Yamamoto. Her makeup was subdued, as usual, but she had put on lipstick and eyeliner. It was a significant change from the messy bun and seats that Himawari usually wore.

Himawari deflated. "Come on, Nao, you promised!"

"When did I-"

"Last week! You said you'd go shopping with me! So we're going today!" Himawari hooked her arm around Nao's and dragged her out the door. "No need to change, I look nice enough for the both of us!"

Nao was speechless.

* * *

"Thanks!"

Himawari stepped out of the café, a small coffee in her hand, and waved at the shopkeeper. Nao looked at her balefully.

"Oh come on, what's with that look?"

"You've gone into literally every shop on this street," Nao said.

"Well, they're all food vendors," Himawari said, as if that explained a lot. And it did. Nao sighed and followed her sister, trudging along behind her. It had already been an hour, and the "shopping" Himawari had obviously meant was food. She had patronized almost every single restaurant and food stand this side of Yozora.

"Oh, Nao, look! There's a dango stand-"

Out of the corner of her eye, Nao saw a flash of mint green. When she turned her head, it had disappeared. Nao squinted, but whatever it was had gone.

"Oh, yeah." Himawari grabbed Nao's hand, making her start in surprise, and placed something in her palm. "You collect these, right?"

Nao stared at the purple Starlight Shard in her hand dumbly. "Where did you get this?" She managed, prodding the shard and hearing the small chime.

"I actually found it a couple of days ago in our yard, but I forgot about it until just now. You can add it to your collection – you should get a proper box for them, not just mom's vase." Himawari grinned.

Nao slipped the shard into her pocket. "Thanks, sis," she said. "If you find any more, I'll take them."

"Is it a new thing? Glass konpeito? I haven't seen them in stores."

There was another flash of green in Nao's peripherals, and she turned her head. A girl with green hair was crossing the street. Nao craned her neck, but the girl was obscured by the crowd, disappearing in the rush.

"Uh, hey, Himawari," Nao said, cutting her sister off, "I, uh, there's…I'm gonna grab a coffee. From the vending machines."

Himawari looked puzzled. "We were just at a cafe-"

"Oh, uh, there's this one kind of canned coffee I really like. That you can only get in the vending machines over here."

"When did you start drinking coffee?" Himawari asked suspiciously.

Nao shrugged. "Sometime after you left home, I guess," she said.

Himawari thought t over for a moment, but shrugged in return. "Yeah, ok. I'll just be over here. Call me if you lose me."

Nao nodded , making her way to the curb and then crossing the street quickly. Yozora wasn't a huge city, so it meant the traffic was usually fairly lenient to pedestrians. Nao felt a little guilty, abandoning her sister, but it wasn't like she had lied. Nao really did like the canned coffee on this side of town better – she hadn't thought to try the vending machines here until she and Kimiko missed a bus and all the cafes were closed. The vending machines were at the far side of the small courtyard, situated in between a couple of benches and a few trees, and Nao made her way there now. The fountain in the middle burbled pleasantly. Nao always liked looking at it – the two figures standing on a bridge made of stars and feathers, the water running under and pooling in a river that ran from one end of the courtyard to the other. It was one of the only public art works that Yozora boasted, and even though the true name of the area was Ama no Gawa Courtyard, most people referred to it as Tanabata after the myth.

It was one of Nao's favorite stories – two lovers separated by the Milky Way, who could only meet once a year on _tanabata_, the seventh day of the seventh month, when thousands of birds made a bridge for them to cross. The statue was based on that very story, so it wasn't surprising that the courtyard was a popular date spot.

She shoved her yen coins into the vending machine, looking around. She had sworn she had seen Himeko – her hair was a fairly distinct green-

There.

Himeko was crouched behind the fountain in the middle of the small square, staring intently at Nao, but as soon as she realized Nao was staring back she squeaked and dove into the bushes that had been planted right behind. Yoshi watched her, looking a little surprised at the sudden escape, but as soon as she saw Nao she stood up and waved.

Nao retrieved her coffee and walked over to them, ignoring Himeko's struggles and cries of, "Yoshi! I'm stuck!"

"Were you guys following me?" Nao asked, opening the can of coffee and taking a sip.

"Nah. Well, a little," Yoshi admitted, "But that's not important. Nao, everyone in my class had the same dream. Being trapped underwater." Nao opened her mouth to say something, but Yoshi continued. "Not just my class – we've been asking around Tanabata, and _everyone_ said they had the same dream. Look-" Yoshi held out a small notepad, and the first two pages were filled with neat tally marks. "Fifty people in a _row_," Yoshi added.

Nao stared at the notebook. "How can that be possible?" She said, her stomach turning in unease.

"We think it's Singularity," Himeko said, brushing leaves out of her hair. "And thanks for helping me, guys, it's not like I'm royalty or anything," she grumbled.

Nao and Yoshi tactfully ignored her last comment.

"I didn't think Peria had that power," Nao said. "It's too sneaky for her. Anyways, why are they giving people bad dreams? What does that have to do with the Starlight Shards?"

Himeko shrugged. "Stella's looking around for any signs from the air."

"I _was_ looking," said a small voice, and with a graceful _thump_ Stella landed on Himeko's head. "No sign of Peria. Whoever's behind this, it's not her."

"Maybe it's a monster that looks kind of like a vaccum."

Yoshi's brow furrowed. "What?"

"Uh, well," Himeko said, but just pointed beyond the others, at the intersection right behind them.

Someone began to scream.

* * *

"Hmph." Apoa's pink eyes swept over the streets. Her cape swirled around her, and she drew it tighter around her out of habit. She held Night in fairly high esteem, but her plan had been surprisingly subdued. _Steal their dreams for Lord Garandou. Replace them with one that will fill them with despair._ Sure. Easy enough to do, but what was the point?

Apoa was certain it had been something to keep them busy. Eki and Peria had probably been sent on similarly vapid tasks. Not that Apoa minded much. Anything to alleviate her boredom. And she was becoming very bored with this assignment.

"Uchui," she said, and the lumbering monster turned to face her. It looked so ridiculous – a thin handle that spouted four arms that ended in vaccums, a huge bag on its back that carried the dreams it stole. It slithered around like a snake.

Apoa would have laughed, if it wasn't so efficient at what it did. If she laughed at all.

"I'm tired of this. Take their lives," she said. "Lord Garandou should have all the dreams he needs." She motined, and the bag on the Uchui's back detached, and both it and Apoa disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

A large switch on the uchui's head flipped from _inhale _to _exhale_.

* * *

"They used the Uchui to give everyone bad dreams," Stella gasped.

"They can _do_ that?!" Yoshi looked impressed and disturbed.

Himeko shook her head. "Singularity is very powerful. There's no telling what they're capable of." Her jaw set. "In any case, we have to take this guy out."

"_UCHUI!"_

A wind picked up, and as the Uchui's arms moved around in circles, a strong wind picked up. Signs bent, and the water from the fountain began to spray outward. Nao lost her hold on her coffee, and it went flying into the brush.

Himeko's face was thunderous. "This is just mayhem for mayhem's sake," she said through gritted teeth. "They did this to my Kingdom. _I won't allow them to do it here_." She drew out her mirror, and Nao and Yoshi hurried to do the same.

"**Pretty Cure! Cosmos Activate!"**

* * *

The Uchui laughed as people fell over, pushed back by the strong wind created by the Uchui's hands. The bushes in the courtyard were beginning to uproot, leaves and water blowing everywhere. People were panicking. In the back of the Uchui's mind, what little intelligence it had, there was a satisfied feeling of a job well done.

A bright, searing light made it stumble backwards. It clawed at its face, blinking clumsily, and as soon as the glow faded it honed in on the source, three ladies in bright costumes. _Pretty Cure._

They were yelling something, but the roar of the wind was too loud. The Uchui turned up the power and pointed two arms at the trio, who were immediately thrown backwards.

They fell into the fountain with a mighty splash.

"We have to get close enough to destroy it," Cure Galaxy said, spluttering a little as she wiped the water off her face.

"How? The wind will just push us back. I don't know if our attacks will hit it, either," Cure Solar said, standing up and wringing out her skirt. "Man, I'm soaked," she mumbled.

Cure Star had already started to run toward the Uchui.

"_Star! Wait-_" The Uchui had already focused an arm on her, and she was thrown back roughly, rolling along the pavement.

The wind was rocking the cars parked nearby, and one was pushed just enough off balance –

"_Star!"_ Galaxy yelled, but her voice was lost in the wind. She struggled forward, but it took most of her strength to clear the fountain. The car was rolling, picking up speed, and Galaxy felt a rush of adrenaline, digging her fingers into the cracks in the pavement and pulling herself forward in a strange crawl, using the cobblestones to pull herself forward.

The car was only fifty feet from Cure Star.

"_STAR!"_ Galaxy yelled again, her voice rough from screaming. This time, though, her voice broke through, and Star's eyes snapped open. The car was almost on top of her.

In one smooth motion, Cure Star jumped up, letting the wind push her back as the car smashed into the place where she had been laying only a moment before. Galaxy sighed in relief, but watched in horror as the car rolled further, slamming into the fountain and breaking the white concrete. The statue of the lovers crumbled, the water spurting uselessly into the air. Galaxy turned away, but although her heart sank at the destruction, it gave her an idea.

"Solar!" She yelled, and the blonde ran diagonally, crouching beside Star and Galaxy and leaning in to hear them. "I have a plan…"

* * *

The pink one was running towards the Uchui, and it laughed. Tiny, pathetic human. It pointed two of its arms at her, and watched in glee as she was pushed backwards. Movement on the left – the mint-colored one was running, almost at its feet, and it angled another arm at her. It halted her, but she gained traction and continued moving forward. The Uchui growled, pointing its last arm at her. This pushed her back, and she rolled, skidding back until she was past the fountain. The Uchui laughed in satisfaction.

It never even noticed Cure Solar, who had used Star and Galaxy as a distraction while she made her way around to the back of the monster. It barely felt as she leaped lightly on top of it's head. The switch was right on the monster's neck, and Solar jumped up.

"Pretty Cure! Solar _Kick_!" She yelled, smashing her foot onto the switch.

The Uchui's eyes widened in horror as all the debris in the courtyard suddenly picked up and slammed into it, causing it to stagger and fall over backwards. Its arms flailed helplessly, the strong winds uprooting trees and clogging the vacuums. Its tail lashed out as it struggled to right itself.

Galaxy stood up. She made a heart with her hands.

The Uchui roared in fright.

"Pretty Cure! Shining Heart!"

The pink shockwave split the Uchui in two, and it dissolved into black smoke, its roar dissipating with its body.

The vacuum cleaner clattered to the pavement, the Starlight Shard hitting the plastic and bouncing off.

Cure Solar fell to her knees, exhaling in relief. "I never thought I'd see the day where a vacuum cleaner made me afraid for my life," she said as she glowed gold and melted into regular Yoshi. The courtyard faded, wavering back to its original state. The fountain began running once more, the stone figures reunited.

Himeko picked up the pink shard and handed it off to Nao, who put it in her pocket. Her fingers brushed the other shard. The one Himawari had found.

_Himawari_.

"Nao!"

Nao spun around, relief flooding through her body. Himawari was running toward her. She had taken off her stilettos, her pantyhose ripped up the side and her feet looking especially grimy. "There you are! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sis, I'm fine-"

"God, you disappeared on me! You said you were getting coffee and then you never came back and then there was that huge monster-"

"I didn't mean to worry you-"

"Well, you did! I spent all day looking for you! You could have been hurt! Did you get hurt?"

"No, I-"

Himawari then noticed Yoshi and Himeko, standing awkwardly to the side. "You ditched me to hang with your friends?" She said, the question hanging in her voice but the recognition in her eyes making Nao's stomach turn in guilt. "Nao, this was supposed to be our shopping day!"

Something snapped inside Nao. "Then why did you just drag me all around Yozora?" She demanded. "You said we were hanging out, but all you did was run into every shop you saw and eat everything you-"

Nao suddenly realized how tired Himawari looked. The sheaf of papers in her bag. The nice clothing. The high heels in her hands. Her heart sank.

"You were…just trying to turn in job apps." She said, quietly. Apologetically. Himawari shrugged, clearly embarrassed.

"I thought…I thought it would be fun to go together," she said, looking down. "I didn't mean to ruin your plans."

"No," Nao cut her off. "No, I'm sorry. This meant a lot to you and I-"

Himawari laughed. "There'll be other jobs. Don't worry about it." She threw an arm around her little sister, drawing her close into a side hug. "Anyways, I'd be a terrible big sister if I didn't acknowledge that you wanted to go hang out with your friends. It's my fault for being too intense. I should have told you from the beginning." She laughed, but it was brittle, a little too forced. "I'm sorry for that."

Nao gave her sister a big hug, a proper one, and pulled away before Himawari could hug back.

"Come on, let's get doughnuts."

"What, really?"

"Yeah, they're on me."

"Your friends wanna come?"

Nao shrugged and started walking. "I see them every day. The universe won't crumble if I take a couple hours to hang with you," she said. She could almost _feel_ the glare she was most likely getting from Stella, who had regained her perch on Himeko's head. "Anyways, we can turn in a job application at the doughnut place, too."

Himawari punched her fist in the air. "I'm gonna get a dozen!"

"What! No! I don't have enough money for that!"

"Cheapskate!"

"Why don't you get a job and pay for your own doughnuts?"

Himawari karate chopped Nao on top of her head.

"Ow! Quit it! You're gonna leave a bruise!"

"I'm going to get a job! And I'm going to buy _every single doughnut_! And then _you won't get any_."

Laughing and arguing, the sisters walked off.

Himeko turned to Yoshi. "I think Nao ditched us."

Yoshi just laughed.

* * *

**Next time on Starlight Pretty Cure!**

Nao: More Uchui keep attacking, and we're not finding many more Starlight Shards…

Himeko: Maybe we need more help!

Yoshi: I know a great candidate! Haha!

Nao: Oh no…

Himeko: What is it? Singularity? An Uchui?

Nao: My club paperwork isn't done!

Yoshi: Next time on Starlight Pretty Cure: "Shining Beautifully! Cure Comet is Born!"


	6. Shining Beautifully! Cure Comet is Born!

"Okay, lieblings, listen up. Before you go on break, a member of the student council has something to say to you." Mikage-sensei tapped the podium with a ruler, and the class quieted down. A girl slid open the door, holding a binder full of papers under an arm.

"Leib…what?" Kimiko whispered to Nao, who just shrugged.

"All right, Ueda, the floor is yours," Mikage-sensei continued, and the girl nodded her thanks. Nao squinted. She'd seen her around before, but something else seemed weirdly familiar about her.

"Thank you, Mikage-sensei." The girl smiled at the class, brushing her long, blue hair out of her eyes. It fell back over her right eye almost immediately, but she ignored it. Her eyes were a clear blue, her features delicate. "As you may know, I'm treasurer for the student council, Ueda Riko. This is just a reminder that today is the last day to submit club applications."

Nao nodded. She had turned her paperwork in last week, mindful of the deadlines.

"As you may _not_ know," Riko continued, "This year the minimum member rule has been changed, from three to four. It has been brought to our attention that many applications do not have the required four members, and we take responsibility as the Student Council for any miscommunications."

Nao felt a jolt of panic.

_Four members?_

When had they changed the rule? Nao realized she had been gripping the table so hard her knuckles had turned white. She released her hold, but the pit in her stomach felt very, very heavy.

Nao felt pressure on her shoulder, and she realized Kimiko had reached out with her hand to steady her. "Nao? Are you ok?"

Nao stared blankly ahead, nodding jerkily. She barely felt Kimiko remove her hand.

_The Astronomy Club only has three members!_

* * *

_Epsiode 6: _Shining Beautifully! Cure Comet is Born!

* * *

"Ueda!"

Riko turned around, and Nao's run turned into a slow jog and then a full stop. "My paperwork – I don't have four members-"

Riko's brow furrowed, but then she seemed to take in Nao's appearance. "Oh! Are you…Yamamoto?"

Nao nodded, still breathing hard. As soon as break had been announced, Nao had jumped out of her chair and sprinted down the flight of stairs after Riko. "Astronomy Club," she managed, adjusting her glasses.

Riko clapped her hands together. "Oh! You must be _that_ Nao! May I call you Nao? You can call me Riko, if you want."

"Um, sure."

Riko laughed pleasantly. "I'm sorry, this must seem so informal. Yoshi may not have told you about me."

Suddenly the name and face spun into clear focus. A vision of Yoshi putting a hand over her right eye and grinning crossed her mind. "_Oh_!" Nao gasped. "No! Yoshi has definitely mentioned you!"

Riko beamed. "I suppose I should formally introduce myself. I'm Ueda Riko. It's nice to finally meet you!" She bowed.

"Likewise! I'm Yamamoto Nao," Nao replied in turn, bowing back. "But I guess you knew that already," she added, straightening up.

"Yes! Yoshi's told me a lot about you."

"I wish I could say the same," Nao said. Yoshi had only mentioned Riko once, and then quickly changed the subject. Now that Nao could see her in person, she sort of understood Yoshi's bashfulness. Riko looked elegant just standing around. Her hair did cover half her face, but the eye that Nao could see shone in delight, and her lips seemed to naturally curve into a smile. There were small dimples in her cheeks. Nao had seen her pass by the classroom often, but most of what she knew was from Yoshi or caught in snippets from other students.

Riko sighed, placing a pale hand on her cheek and sighing. "I suppose that's how it goes," she said, but brightened almost instantly, her other hand going to her face as well. "It's so cute how bashful she is, don't you think?"

Nao thought about it. "She didn't seem to talk about you without getting embarrassed," she agreed, recalling Yoshi's blush and her stammering.

Riko sighed happily, her eyes closing, but then they slammed open and she dropped her hands. "Oh, what am I doing? Don't distract me."

_I think Yoshi's to blame for that_, Nao thought.

"Listen, this is important. The deadline technically was today, but since Yoshi _is_ a part of your club, and since the Student Council likes the idea and we need more science-based clubs, we're giving you an extension."

Nao's eyes widened.

"If you can find one more member to join by two p.m.," Riko continued, "we'll give you the official stamp and your club will be accepted. Does that sound fair?"

Nao managed to nod.

"Riko! You need to sign this!" Someone yelled from across the hall. A boy had come up behind Riko, a sheaf of papers in his hand. Nao recognized him as the Vice President. "Sorry, I need to borrow her for a moment," he added, addressing Nao, who waved his apology away.

"It's fine. We were almost finished," she said politely.

Riko nodded in agreement. "I'll see you at four, then," she said, smiling and wiggling her fingers in a wave goodbye.

Nao held her hand up in response, standing in the hall until Riko had disappeared into the Student Council Office and closed the door behind her, and then after, unable to move until the bell rang.

* * *

"Two p.m.? That doesn't give you a lot of time," Yoshi said, biting into her melon bread.

The day was warmer than usual, and sunny. Many people had elected to eat lunch outside, spread out over the small school campus in groups. Nao and Kimiko liked to sit by the tennis courts, backs against the chain link fence, and eat in the small sunny area between two huge oak trees. It had been their spot since they were first years, but even though it had been just the two of them, it had never felt lonely – that is, until Himeko joined the lunchtime group. Nao could see how happy Kimiko was to have someone else to talk to. As good of friends as they were, Kimiko and Nao had a very small pool of shared interests. Nao would never say it out loud, but she was glad Kimiko had found someone else to talk to about comics and games with that could actually talk about it right back. Nao often felt guilty that she couldn't keep up with most of what her best friend said.

Yoshi had started eating lunch with them soon after she became a part of Pretty Cure, and Kimiko had welcomed her as easily as she did Himeko. Nao was glad to see the long silences had disappeared from lunch.

Well, almost disappeared.

After Nao had told the other three about the extension, there had been an uneasy moment of quiet that matched Nao's nervousness.

"What are we going to do?" Himeko said, shoulders sagging. Even her ponytails seemed to droop. "I don't want the club to die!"

"It's not dying, Hime," Kimiko said, but she looked sympathetic. "Who else do you know that could join?"

Yoshi crumpled her trash into a tight ball. "I could ask Kiharu, but he's so busy with violin that I doubt he'll want to add a club to his schedule."

Kimiko perked up at that. "Couldn't you just put his name on the sheet and turn it in?"

Yoshi shook her head. "He's already in Student Council. If he wasn't Historian, maybe he'd be okay with it, but he's even busier than Riko."

"Anyways, school rule says any member who joins has to go to a certain amount of meetings or else they're supposed to be disbanded," Nao added tonelessly.

Kimiko looked at her, shocked. "Nao! Don't tell me you've given up!"

Nao just shook her head, saying nothing.

"Why can't you join, Kimi?" Himeko said, but Nao cut her off, agitated.

"She already said she didn't want to join. Let's just drop it." Three anxious faces stared at her, surprised by her sudden harsh tone, but Nao wasn't in the mood for their sympathy. "I'm gonna go get a juice," she mumbled, suddenly embarrassed by her outburst, and she quickly stood up and walked quickly away.

"Is she going to be okay?" Himeko asked, watching as Nao slouched off.

Kimiko unwrapped the second half of her sandwich, looking over at Nao's untouched bento. "Ever since I've known her, she's never been one to really share how she's feeling," she said, slowly. "But I think she'll be okay. She's behaving much better than she used to."

Himeko and Yoshi seemed surprised, and seeing their expressions, Kimiko continued on.

"When we were, like, twelve, Nao really wanted to get this fancy book about space, right? So her mom said if she saved up for it, she would drive her into town and Nao could get it. So Nao tried to save up her own allowance, but she was shy by like, a thousand yen? Something close. Like, there was a small gap. So she went around to all the neighbors, asked everyone at the dojo if she could sweep their leaves or clean their uniforms or whatever." Kimiko took a bit out of her sandwich, thoughtful. "When nobody had anything they needed her to do, she just gave up. She didn't bother asking me or Himawari or even her mom to spot her the money. She had just figured that it wasn't meant to be." Kimiko shrugged. "If she's fighting for her club now, I'd say she's gotten better."

Yoshi looked surprised. "I never thought of Nao to be the quitting type."

Kimiko tapped her mouth with a finger. "Well, I wouldn't say that. She's not a quitter, but she didn't have the confidence to make herself go further. When she hit a wall, she'd just go back."

Himeko, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly spoke up now. "Speaking of Nao, don't you think she's been gone a long time?"

* * *

Nao _had_ been gone a long time. She had ignored the vending machine altogether and gone into the school, wanting to be alone for a little while longer. The stairwell was empty. Most of the school was outdoors, enjoying the nice weather. Nobody would bother her here.

It was sort of nice, just to be sitting in the quiet, knees drawn up to her chest and shoulders hunched. Nao sighed and wrapped her arms around her legs, feeling frustrated tears prick at the edges of her eyes. _You're acting like a child_, she tried to admonish herself, but her heart wasn't in it.

"Nao?"

A quiet voice made her look up.

"Shouldn't you be at lunch?" Riko asked, sitting down next to Nao, tucking her skirt down and smoothing it out.

"I could say the same for you," Nao said, returning her gaze back to her feet.

The corners of Riko's lips moved upwards, but it wasn't quite a smile. "I ate already," she said. "I wasn't very hungry, though."

The well-intentioned small talk was met with upset silence. Riko bit the inside of her cheek.

"Are…you worried about the deadline?" Nao's hesitation answered the question for her. Riko laced her fingers under her knees, looking at Nao for a long moment. "What inspired you to start the Astronomy club?" She asked. Nao looked over at Riko, but she looked genuinely curious, so she unfolded herself a little and thought about it.

"I don't know," she said, but at Riko's eager expression, Nao felt the words come pouring out. "I mean…When I was little, my mom gave me this tiny telescope for my birthday – it wasn't real, it had pictures put into the lens and when you pressed a button they changed, and there were like seven or something…" Nao smiled at the memory. "I used to stare into that thing for ages, just clicking through the pictures. I still remember all the names," she added, turning so that she was facing Riko completely. "There was one of the Horsehead nebula, and a picture of one of the arms of the Milky Way, and one of a comet and a solar flare and a cluster of stars and, um, I think a map of the solar system," Nao said, looking at the ceiling as she tried to recall. "But they were all so amazing," Nao said, adjusting her glasses, suddenly a little shy.

"You've always loved space then, huh?" Riko mused, head propped up on her hands.

"Yeah. It's just…there's so much of it. It's a mystery. I love how small it makes me feel." She could see Riko's brow furrowing; her face puzzled, and quickly added, "It's kind of comforting. No matter how bad of a day I have, no matter what things happen that scare me, or worry me, it's nice to know that there's storms that never stop, or, or galaxies that would take fifty lifetimes to reach, or black holes that destroy everything in their path. Things like that put everything into perspective. It's humbling to remember there's always going to be something bigger than yourself."

Riko stared at her, but then broke into laughter. It was warm and inviting, and soon Nao felt herself laughing too. "It _is_ kind of silly," she said.

Riko shook her head, her blue hair falling in front of her eye once more. "Not at all! I never thought being insignificant could be so uplifting," she said, smile bright. "The universe doesn't care if I messed up my paperwork. The universe has too many other things to worry about." Her smile became gentler, and she took Nao's hand in hers. Gave it a small squeeze. "I have a feeling you'll meet your deadline," she said, her eyes sparkling.

Then, the wall exploded.

* * *

Apoa tossed a yellow Starlight Shard into the air and caught it.

"I thought I would visit," she said, looking coldly at the two girls at the foot of the stairs. Nao shook herself, brushing dust out of her hair.

"Can you leave? I have things to do," Nao snapped, her eyes narrowing as she got to her feet. Riko stirred nearby, and she helped her up carefully.

"What happened?" She got a look of the girl at the top of the flight of stairs. "Who's that?"

"It's nobody important," Nao said, rudely.

Apoa caught the Starlight Shard, and her eyes narrowed into angry slits. Her jaw clenched slightly.

"She just blew a hole in the wall!" Riko said, gesturing to the gaping scar in the plaster.

"She just wants attention. Ignore her and maybe she'll leave."

You could almost see the veins pulsing beneath Apoa's skin, her face tight.

"Nao?!"

Yoshi rounded the corner, skidding slightly, and rushed to her side. Himeko was right behind her, juice box in hand.

"We went to the vending machine when you didn't come back," Yoshi said, obviously relieved, but at Nao's face she finally took in her surroundings. "Oh."

"Well, if you're all here," Apoa said, "I may as well take care of you before I leave."

Several things happened at once.

Apoa pulled out a corrupted shard and dropped it on the floor. She pulled a chunk of brick from the wall and threw it into the formless torso, and the Uchui that stepped away was a great stone monster, made from brick shaped into the vague form of a humanoid, baring fangs and arms that ended in axes.

Nao and Himeko pulled out their mirrors.

Yoshi ran to Riko's side and began to pull her away from the stairwell. She was frozen in fright. "Yoshi-"

"We have to _go_," Yoshi pleaded, but the monster had lept from it's perch, slamming into the ground and making craters where it's blunt feet crunched into the wooden flooring and exposing the concrete foundation underneath. The shock made Riko and Yoshi fall, but Yoshi sprung up almost instantly. "How dare you," she snarled. "Riko!" She shouted, "Get out of here! Just run!"

Riko didn't need to be told twice, and she quickly disappeared around the corner.

Apoa wrapped her cape around her as the void swirled about her, and as she threw the fabric over her face, she was consumed, vanishing into smoke.

"She got a shard," Nao said, but was cut off by the lunch bell.

Himeko looked at the other two members of Pretty Cure, frantic. "It's not safe here. What did you say to her, Nao!? She looked angry."

Nao didn't meet her gaze, and Himeko exhaled in frustration and gave Yoshi a look.

"We better work quickly, then," Yoshi said.

All three of them raised their mirrors.

"**Pretty Cure! Cosmos Activate!"**

"The promise of infinite possibility! I am Cure Galaxy!"

"The fire of a beautiful dream! I am Cure Solar!"

"The brightest light in the dark! I am Cure Star!"

The Uchui roared, swiping at the three Pretty Cures, but they jumped away, evading the stone arm easily.

"I don't want to get caught up in that," Cure Star said, looking at the sharp edges of the axe as it dragged against the ground and ripped a wide scar into the wooden floor.

"Where's Stella?!" Cure Galaxy said, realizing she hadn't seen the bat all day. It wasn't the same without her.

Star turned pink.

"Um, I told her to stay home since nothing was going to happen at school…"

Galaxy and Solar just stared at her.

The dramatic irony of the situation was cut by the Uchui roaring again, axe hands slamming into the floor.

"Galaxy!" Yelled Star, who had rolled out of the way of the Uchui's blades just in time.

"Right," she replied, forming a heart shape with her hands. "Pretty Cure! Shining Heart!"

The pink whip hit the Uchui smack in the chest, but the monster had braced itself. The magic attack left a large scrape against the brick, but as the Uchui looked down, it laughed, a grating rumble that clawed at Galaxy's ears.

"It wasn't enough!" Solar yelled. She formed a diamond shape with her hands. "So much for finishing this quickly," she added under her breath. "Pretty Cure! Rising Flare!"

The gold glow spiraled toward the Uchui in thin strands, but the Uchui was much faster. It threw up its arms, crossing them over its face, and the attack slammed against the axes, the blades slicing the magic and splitting it so that it shot off to the sides.

Solar lowered her arms, eyes wide.

"Wh-what? It-"

"It blocked it," Star finished, staring at the raised arms in shock.

Solar jumped back. "Star!"

Cure Star nodded grimly, clasping her hands and lacing her fingers together. The star on her chest began to glow a pale green.

"Pretty Cure…" The glow supercharged, and Star unhooked her fingers, drawing the glow away from the mirror and holding it in her hands. It bubbled and sparked, contained in her grasp, and Star pulled the energy off to the side, twisting her body. "…Royal Flash!"

She shoved her hands forward, towards the Uchui, and the glowing energy followed, becoming a focused laser that arched towards the Uchui and smashed into its chest. The impact caused Cure Star to slide back, but she dug her toes in and pushed harder, until the Uchui had been shoved back into the stairs, crumbling the steps under its heavy stone body. The glow faded, becoming thinner and thinner, until it had petered out entirely. Star fell to her knees, breathing heavily.

"Did I get it?"

The Uchui sat up and shook itself. It was battered, and there was a significant hole in its body that oozed black smoke, but it wasn't dead. It wasn't disappearing. Star let out a frustrated cry and hit the ground with her fist. "Nothing works!"

Galaxy's brow knitted as she made a heart shape with her hands. "Pretty Cure! Shining Heart!" She shouted, but the glow didn't appear. "Pretty Cure! Shining Heart!" She yelled again, hitting the mirror with the heel of her hand. "Why can't we use our attacks more than once?" Galaxy cried, frantically, but Star just shook her head.

"It's the magic here on earth! I told you, it takes longer to recharge it! We don't have enough power to attack with magic more than once!"

The Uchui was struggling, but it had enough strength to sweep its arm through the narrow hallway.

Solar didn't move fast enough.

The blunt side of the axe caught her torso, slamming her into the wall. The Uchui's gravelly laugh began again in earnest, and it seemed to be delighted as Solar slid down the side of the wall and landed in a heap. She didn't move. Galaxy began to move forward, but the axe came down right in front of her, the force of it halting her and tripping her. As she fell backwards, she saw someone dart forward.

Galaxy watched as Riko put her fingers in her mouth and _whistled_. The shrill noise caught the Uchui's attention, and it growled as it swiveled its stone head to look at her.

"Don't you _dare_ touch Yoshi," Riko snarled, and Cure Galaxy swore hadn't seen meaner eyes outside of Singularity. Riko's glare would give Peria's a run for its money. Even the Uchui flinched at the ferocity of her angry gaze, retracting its axe and holding it in front of its body almost protectively.

Solar pulled herself up, holding her side, and stared at Riko almost as if she couldn't quite understand what was happening.

Riko spun around, and both Galaxy and Star jumped at the sudden displacement of her intense gaze. "_Give me a star thing._"

Cure Star pulled her mirror off of her chest and tapped it, waiting for the glow before pulling out a blue star mirror and throwing it over to Riko quickly. She caught it neatly.

As Star replaced the mirror, Galaxy noticed that a cluster of blue gems had formed on the previously empty arm of the last star.

"All I have to do is hold it up, right?" Riko snapped, and Star nodded, managing a small noise of agreement.

"Is she allowed to do that?" Galaxy whispered.

"Would you say no to her?" Star whispered back.

It was a good point.

Riko went to raise the mirror above her head, but Solar grabbed her wrist.

"Riko! You can't just-"

"Yoshi, you've been fighting all this time, haven't you?" Riko said, her tone firm but gentle. "I watched you transform. You're a part of Pretty Cure – I've seen you on the news-"

"It's dangerous-" Yoshi tried to interrupt, but Riko got there first.

"I want to help! I've been here the whole time-"

"I told you to run-"

"Well, how can I just-"

"You guys can fight later! There's more important things to worry about!" Star finally yelled, stomping her foot. "If you aren't going to transform I'm taking the mirror back!"

Riko looked back at Solar, who released her grip, but the pain in her face was unmistakable. Riko took her hand in hers and gave it a small squeeze, then leaned in and said something that only Solar could hear. The tension in Solar's face eased, just a little, and Riko turned around to face the Uchui, who had by now gotten its bearings. It roared at Riko.

Riko just raised the mirror. A wind picked up around her feet.

"**Pretty Cure! Cosmos Activate!"**

The flash of blue was too brilliant for even Galaxy to look at. She closed her eyes and turned away, blinking the light out of her eyes. In Riko's place stood a blue-clad Pretty Cure, her hair trailing down past her waist. Her dress was navy, the sleeves sheer and sparkling as if the material was made out of the same material as Starlight Shards (and it struck Galaxy that this may very well be the case). Her skirt swirled around as the wind settled down, and she opened her sky-blue eyes to stare haughtily at the Uchui.

"Blazing a trail to destiny! I am Cure Comet!" She shouted, moving to stand with her legs shoulder width apart as she inspected the damage already done to the Uchui.

"It's a shame the other attacks didn't kill you," she said raising her left arm and pointing at the Uchui. "But that means more fun for me, right?" Her expression was icy. She began moving her arm in a long circle. A thin ray of blue light followed her finger as she drew in the air.

Galaxy realized that Star and Solar had crowded up next to her and were holding on to her arms.

"Pretty Cure!"

She finished the circle, and as soon as it closed it filled with a pale blue light.

"Mirror Vortex!" Cure Comet yelled, and thrust her left hand into the circle of light, palm slamming against it. It shattered, crumpling outward from her touch, but hung in the air. The wind picked up, Comet's long hair billowing around her face, and she slammed her right arm forward. The shards _shifted_ – turning so the dagger-sharp ends faced the Uchui. As soon as Comet's hand touched the circle, they were forced forward, shooting at the Uchui like bullets, wedging in the cracks in the brick surface of its skin. The Uchui howled.

Cure Comet dropped her hands.

She extended her left arm.

She snapped her fingers.

The shards exploded.

The Uchui erupted into a mass of flame and smoke, roaring in pain and crumbling down to the floor. When the smoke cleared, the hole in the walls and floors had vanished, the gouges repaired as the space distorted by Singularity reasserted itself.

All that was left was a chunk of brick on the floor.

The Starlight Shard fell to the ground with a small chime.

"Your girlfriend is scary when she's mad," Star said, eyes wide as dinner plates.

"We should just let her be Pretty Cure all by herself," Solar agreed.

* * *

It was with heavy legs and a heavy heart that Nao trudged up the stairs the next morning.

"_Oh man, it's after two," Himeko said, her clothing reforming around her. _

_Nao looked up at her, sharply, hand closing around the Starlight Shard so tightly she could feel the bumps digging into her flesh painfully. She looked at Riko._

_Riko looked just as stunned as she felt.  
_

She hadn't made the deadline.

Apoa had taken a shard.

Was this an omen?

Nao didn't even notice that there was a crowd in front of the bulletin board until she walked into it.

Rubbing her nose, she saw a tan hand sticking out from the crowd, and she made her way over, brow furrowing in confusion. "Kimiko, you're not in a club-" She began, but Kimiko had yanked her over to the front, elbowing students left and right.

"Here, move along, sorry- hey, no pushing!" With a mighty shove and several dirty looks from the surrounding students, Kimiko put all her weight into pushing Nao forward, and then the crowd closed around her. Nao stared as Kimiko fought her way back out of the crowd, and then at the club notices in confusion.

It took her a long moment, but she finally saw why Kimiko had been so aggressive, down at the bottom corner of the bulletin board, tacked up with a bright red push pin.

* * *

"Riko! _Riko!_"

Hearing her name being called, Riko paused and turned around, a sheaf of papers in the crook of her arm. Seeing Nao running toward her, she smiled, closing the distance with a couple of short strides.

"I was just looking for you! I wanted to tell you that I'll be late to the first club meeting today – Student Council has me working on budgets for the first hour. I should be free to make the rest of them, though – it's a good thing you've scheduled for Tuesdays, especially since Yoshi doesn't have practice then, either." She calmly moved her hair behind her ear, tucking it securely, both eyes now visible.

Nao stared at her in confusion.

Riko winked.

On the final line on the club membership sheet, in elegant, spidery handwriting, someone had added _Ueda Riko_ under Nao's thick block characters.

_I have a feeling you'll meet your deadline._

* * *

**Next time on Starlight Pretty Cure!**

Himeko: Riko! You're so strong! I can't believe you're a part of Pretty Cure!

Stella: I can't believe I missed it!

Riko: You didn't miss much. And I don't want to be a part of Pretty Cure.

Himeko: What?

Stella: You were chosen!

Riko: No thanks! Not interested!

Nao: This is getting complicated...

Yoshi: Next time on Starlight Pretty Cure: "Study hard! A Test of Courage!"


	7. The Reluctant Warrior! Riko's Dilemma!

"A week?" Himeko echoed Riko excitedly. "Yoshi didn't tell us anything!" She shot a look at the offending party, who deftly ignored it and reached for a cookie. Riko released her grip on Yoshi's arm momentarily, but she hooked her arm around the blonde's as soon as she settled back on the couch, leaning her head against Yoshi's shoulder and beaming.

"Sorry," Yoshi said, shrugging the shoulder that didn't have a head resting on it. "I've been busy. There's a judo tournament I qualified for and practice has been pretty intense."

"Sorry?! You decide not to mention that you got a _girlfriend_ and you didn't tell us?" Himeko had a cookie in each hand, and when she gestured, the baked goods were waved around in a way that seemed fairly comical – at least, it did to Nao. She was taking one cookie at a time, but she already had eaten four.

Yoshi just shrugged again, and Himeko sighed dejectedly. "Is this what you think of our friendship? Already you're keeping secrets!"

"I think Yoshi's just really forgetful," Nao pointed out. "She forgot to tell us she had a twin brother, too," she added before reaching for a fifth cookie. Yoshi grinned, not even bothering to deny it. Riko nodded sympathetically.

Himeko screwed up her face in thought. "I guess," she said, still unconvinced. She shoved an entire cookie in her mouth, and Stella squawked from her place on the table.

"Princesses don't shove entire cookies in their mouths!" The bat admonished, but Himeko just turned her nose up.

"I just did it, and I'm a princess, so princesses _do too_."

The Astronomy Club had been approved too late for them to get a designated science room to meet in, so they had been given the next best thing – the 3rd floor student lounge. It had been slotted to host the Manners Club, but the club decided to merge with the Home Ec. Club at the last minute. Nao didn't mind. The student lounge had nice couches and a large window, with a table in between the sofas. It was fairly small, but it always smelled good because the cooking club was just next door at the same time. The cookies on the table, though, had been made by Riko for the club's Official Second Meeting.

Nao reached for a sixth cookie.

"Oh! Before I forget," Riko said, and she grabbed her schoolbag from the floor and rummaged around until she found what she was looking for.

She placed the Pretty Cure Mirror on the table, mirror-down, and slid it toward Himeko. "Thank you for letting me borrow this. I didn't mean to hold on to it for so long," she said apologetically.

Himeko took it, almost confused, staring at it as if she didn't know what to do. "What do you mean?" She asked. Her voice was very small.

Riko brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Well, I wanted to protect Yoshi, and I was able to do that with the mirror thing. I don't need it anymore."

Stella flapped her wings, getting herself to a standing position. "Riko, you can't go back on being a Pretty Cure! We need you," she said, an edge of desperation in her voice. "There will always be another monster, as long as Singularity is around."

"I'm sorry. I really am! But it was a one-time deal. I have no interest in being a Pretty Cure."

* * *

_Episode 7:_ 'The Reluctant Warrior! Riko's Dilemma!"

* * *

The late afternoon sun was a deep orange, and it cast long shadows after Yoshi and Nao, who were walking together, neither speaking a word.

They stopped at the crosswalk and waited for the signal to change to _walk_.

"Did you know Riko was going to give the mirror back?" Nao asked, her voice quiet, almost lost in the sounds of traffic.

Yoshi shook her head. "No, not at all." She exhaled, sighing heavily. "I love Riko to death, but she's so stubborn! It's hard to argue with her once she's made up her mind, even if you know she's in the wrong. She's always been like that."

Nao mulled this over.

"I mean, Himeko was being pretty stubborn, too," Yoshi added. "They're really alike in some ways."

* * *

"_Please, Riko," Himeko said, holding out the mirror to her. "I can't beat Singularity without all my knights! Only you can be Cure Comet!"_

"_You should find someone that's actually qualified for the job," Riko insisted, pushing Himeko's hand gently away._

"_But you are qualified! You reduced that Uchui to ash!"_

"_Only because you all had weakened it. It was convenient that I was there to help out, but-"_

"_Riko! Please!" Himeko was on the verge of frustrated tears, and Stella was telling her to calm down, but Himeko shook her head roughly. "As Princess of the Kingdom of Stars, I order you to-"_

"Order_ me?!" Riko stood up, crossing her arms over her chest and staring Himeko down haughtily. "You have no power here, Princess or not! I have no interest in being a Pretty Cure, and it's useless to argue!"_

_Himeko jumped to her feet, hands balling into fists._

"_Is the fate of the entire universe not enough for you?"_

"_You'll find someone else!" Riko was shouting now, matching Himeko's angry tone. _

"_I can't! Only you can use the Pretty Cure Mirror now!"_

"_I'm sorry! But I don't. Want. To be. A Pretty Cure." Riko's tone was icy. "This conversation is over. I have work to do." She turned and stormed out of the room. After a moment, Himeko gathered up her things and ran out as well. Stella followed her after giving Yoshi and Nao anxious looks._

_There was a very, very tense silence in the room._

* * *

"I think they both should cool down for a bit. That would be best," Yoshi said, resigned. "They're both being kind of intense over this whole thing. I don't think Riko meant to upset Himeko, but at the same time Himeko's putting a lot of pressure on her. On everyone." Nao saw her slouch – it spoke volumes on how worried she was over all this.

"What do you want her to do? She _is_ your girlfriend."

Yoshi looked thoughtful, but shrugged. "I guess I'm torn. I mean…" She slowed, the bike clicking along and stopping as she did. Nao stopped as well.

Yoshi stared at the handlebars, gathering her thoughts. "…I guess…I mean, I don't want her to get hurt, so I'm kind of against her being right in harm's way, you know? But if she's a Pretty Cure, she's powerful enough to fight against the monsters. Kind of a win-lose-win-lose scenario. Does that make sense?" Nao squinted, trying to figure out what Yoshi meant.

"No, I think I understand what you mean."

Yoshi shrugged. "I'll support her decision no matter what she does, though." She began walking again, and Nao fell into step next to her. "It's kind of a scary thing, to be told you have the fate of the universe on your shoulders."

They walked the rest of the way in silence.

When they got to the train station, Nao waved, and Yoshi hopped on her bike, pedaling off in a lazy wander. Nao watched as she turned the corner, suddenly hidden by the buildings and street signs as the sun began slipping behind the mountains and the stars began appearing in the sky.

* * *

The west hallway leading to Night's chambers was filled with windows. Most of the palace was. The perpetual night that surrounded the Dark Planet was beautiful – not simply absence of light. The stars were brighter here, the nebula spreading over the sky like an aurora borealis that cast strange shadows over the grounds and gardens. The ever-present moons shone, the pale light reflected from the glow of the Kingdom of Stars falling through the windows. Night stopped at the middle of the decorated colonnade that filled the spaces between the glass, leaning heavily against one and resting her head, for a moment, against the smooth surface. Suddenly, she seized, falling to her knees and breathing hard, arms wrapped around herself and shoulders heaving. The train of fabric that trailed from her armor fanned around her body, and for a long moment, she stayed there, huddled up to the glass, her long, blonde hair falling over her shoulders in disarray.

Slowly, she unfolded herself, her breathing heavy. She pulled herself up, but kept a hand on the glass for support.

"Too much energy," she gasped, her voice sounding loud in the silence of the hallway. She would have to send the others on more useless tasks, and soon. She was reaching her limit. She needed time to recharge.

There was a soft sliding noise right behind her, and she began to draw her sword. "Who's there?" She barked, turning roughly.

"Night? Are you all right?"

Eki stood there, pale skin looking ghostly in the moonlight. She was clasping her hands together nervously, looking genuinely concerned, and Night slid her sword back into its sheath and allowed herself to relax, drawing herself up to her regular posture.

"Yes. I'm sorry."

Eki came to stand beside the taller woman, peering out at the view for a moment before turning to face Night. "You haven't seemed like yourself lately. Are you sure you're doing all right?" She kept her eyes lowered. Respectful.

Night put a gentle hand on Eki's shoulder, but removed it quickly. She had only received such attention, such concern, from one other person during her stay at the palace. She didn't quite know how to react to it. "I'm simply tired, is all."

Eki nodded, making eye contact briefly before her gaze returned swiftly to the floor. "I'm sorry to have bothered you," she said. Night was someone you didn't want to anger – or even annoy. She gave off an air of potential threats. Eki didn't know anything about her. Nobody had seen her face, or heard her speak without being muffled through the mask. The only part of Night Eki had ever seen was her one, yellow eye, visible through a slit on the left side of her mask, but even that gave nothing away, not the smallest emotion. Her past was unknown, even before she had joined Singularity. Her time spent in the palace as Captain of the Guards was never spoken of, and Night acted as if there had never been a time before she rose to that position. Peria and Apoa often spoke of their childhood, their time as palace guards, but with Night, there was nothing. No family. No friends. Nothing but Singularity, and even then she seemed detached.

"It's fine," Night replied, but her tone was hollow. Eki backed up and bowed low.

"I hope the rest of your evening is lovely," she said quickly, the words tumbling out awkwardly, and she straightened up, turning and walking away. Forcing herself to go slowly. When she rounded the corner, Eki broke out in a run, sprinting down the corridor, her entire body numb with dread.

She didn't stop running until she closed the doors of her chamber behind her, sliding down and shaking in fear. There was a feeling of narrowly escaping something, standing at the gaping mouth of a dark abyss and scrambling back from the edge.

When Eki next returned to the hallway, all the windows had been shattered.

* * *

"Here, mom, lunch for you."

"Thank you, Riko! You're a treasure. What would I do without you?"

"Eat convenience store onigiri, probably."

"Funny girl. Speaking of, I'll be home later tonight, so just eat dinner without me."

"Okay. Do you have everything?"

"Yeah, I'm all set! Wish mommy luck today! I'm leaving!"

"Good luck," Riko said enthusiastically, and her little sisters chimed in, waving as her mother ran out the door. All the Ueda women looked alike – dark blue hair, blue eyes, and slightly shifty expressions, like they were perpetually annoyed about something, although the scary expression dissolved when they smiled. Riko turned back to the dishes she was washing. "Fuuka, did you get all your stuff together for school?"

"Yep!"

"Do you have your lunch?"

"Yep! Oh, wait. Now I do!"

"Hold on, your bow is crooked." Riko wiped her hands and then bent down, adjusting Fuuka's school uniform. Fuuka's hair was pulled into one ponytail, held in place with an orange scrunchie, and Riko tucked a stray hair back into order, although Fuuka batted at her hand. "Remember, straight to school! Don't talk to strangers."

"Riko, I'm _eight_," Fuuka said, exasperated. "I can walk to school."

Riko held her hands up in mock defeat. "All right, all right. Off with you. Don't be late!"

"School is only three blocks away, Riko!"

"Wait, hold on, you have jam on-"

Fuuka rubbed her face with her sleeve before Riko could fuss with her any further. "I got it. I'm leaving now!"

"See you later, Fuu!"

"Bye, Fuu!" Riko's youngest sister chimed in, a sugary cornflake stuck to her cheek and a couple somehow getting stuck in her short hair. Riko removed them carefully, wiping her face with a washrag.

"All ready to go, Torako?"

"Yeah!" Torako threw her hands in the air in excitement.

"Okay. Help me bring these plates to the sink."

The Ueda household was always a hectic place, especially in the morning. With Ms. Ueda off to work and Fuuka sent off to school, the small kitchen seemed much quieter. Riko pushed aside the small curtains that covered the window over the sink, frowning at the sky. It was a dark charcoal grey, clouds looking ominous.

"I should have made Fuuka take an umbrella," she muttered. Noticing Torako drifting towards the TV, she shoved the dishes in the sink and ran over, scooping her baby sister up. "No you don't!" Torako shrieked in mirth. "Shoes on, my little monster."

* * *

The Ueda family lived in a modern apartment building south of Yozora High School, and slightly north of Fuuka's elementary. It only took the middle sister five minutes to get to school, but Riko's walk was a good fifteen to twenty minutes long because she walked the smallest sister to daycare. The trip was made longer if Torako got distracted, but today she was well behaved, walking in step with her oldest sister and only pausing once to pick up a pretty rock by the side of the road.

"Look, sis," she said, holding it up.

Riko took the small pink rock, noticing how it looked a lot like konpeito. It didn't look like any rock she'd ever seen. "It's really pretty, Tora," she gushed. "Can I keep this?"

"It's for you," Torako agreed. Riko slipped the rock into her skirt pocket.

The rest of the walk was uneventful, and they reached the daycare in what Riko thought must have been record time.

"Bye!" Riko called, waving at Torako as she ran inside, already noticing one of her friends. Torako turned around and waved, ran a few steps, turned around, and waved again before running inside.

Riko lowered her hand, mentally mapping out the route ahead. She turned back to the road.

A girl in a black cape stood in front of her, head tilted. The sight of her sent shivers down Riko's spine.

_I thought I would visit._

"You're the new one," Apoa said, looking Riko up and down. "You don't look like much."

"You're that girl from last week," Riko managed, hand clamping around the handle of her schoolbag so tightly it hurt.

"Yes. My name is Apoa, of Singularity."

"Are you here to kill me?"

Apoa blinked, which was the closest thing to emotion Riko had seen of her so far. "Do you want me to kill you?" In her monotone voice, the threat seemed almost unreal, but it scared Riko just the same.

"No." The answer was immediate.

"You're very self-centered. I'm not here for you at all." Apoa's eyes became hard, colder. Sharp. "There's something I need in this area. Move aside."

"No." Riko shocked herself with how quickly she answered this time.

Apoa seemed unconcerned.

"Very well."

She brushed passed Riko, her cape brushing against her arm for a split second. It felt like ice.

Riko couldn't move.

_Why is she here? I thought that the others got rid of her. _Stellas's words at club yesterday came back to her. _There will always be another monster, as long as Singularity is around._

Her hand flew to her pocket before she realized she had given the mirror back to Himeko. _I can't do anything. I can't…_

Her hand closed around the small rock.

_I'm looking for something._

She heard a scream.

_Torako!_

* * *

The desks were overturned, papers everywhere. The Uchui had already destroyed one wall, its limbs comically oversized, body square and blocky; its mouth was made out of the multicolored electric keyboard the preschool teachers used for sing-alongs. When it laughed, it made sounds like someone was smashing their hands on the keys.

The children were huddled in one corner, the teachers doing their best to keep them in one place as Apoa strode around the room, ripping down posters and pulling out shelves.

"The Shard must be here," she muttered. "Where is it?"

There was a flurry of movement, and suddenly, the Uchui was knocked back, doubling over. Cure Solar backflipped away, and Riko realized that she had kicked the monster right in the stomach – lower torso, she corrected herself. She had no idea if Uchui had internal organs.

There were murmurs among the children. "It's the yellow Pretty Cure!" "I saw them on tv once!" "Pretty Cure! She came to save us!" "Riko!"

She turned when she heard her name, seeing Torako curled up, eyes welling with tears.

"Get the kids out of here!" Solar yelled, fists rising as the Uchui returned to its feet. The teachers responded immediately, ushering the kids out into the play yard. Torako hesitated, but Riko picked her up and ran outside, cradling her against her chest.

"It's gonna be okay, Tora. Pretty Cure is here."

There was a loud smashing sound behind her, and the roof of the daycare crumbled inwards.

_Yoshi_.

Riko set Torako down carefully. "You stay right here," she said, trying to keep her hands from trembling. "Stay with the others. I'll be right back." Torako's grip was like iron, her eyes wide. Riko hugged Torako very close, allowing herself a long moment, but carefully extracted her baby sister, breaking her grip gently but firmly. Riko looked at the teacher, who was staring at her in confusion. Riko turned and ran into the building before anyone could stop her.

* * *

It was dusty, the rooftop collapsed and heavy beams scattered around. Riko ducked under one and coughed. "Yoshi!" She yelled. "Yoshi, where are you?" The Uchui was nowhere to be seen, sending a mix of emotions through Riko. She felt her stomach turn, her heart pounding in her chest. "_Yoshi!"_

There was a small sound behind her, and Riko turned to see Cure Solar sitting propped up against the wall. There were faint crashing noises – the Uchui was searching every room. For what Riko had in her pocket. She ignored the far away threat and focused on the girl in front of her.

Cure Solar's eyes were closed, her breathing shallow. There was a gash on her forehead, a yellowing bruise on her right cheek. As Riko bent down, she stirred, cracking open an eye and smiling weakly.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Riko brushed Solar's bangs out of her face gently, taking the utmost care not to touch the cut or the bruise. Her fingernail caught Soar's cheekbone, and she winced, Riko murmuring a quiet apology. "You shouldn't have attacked it by yourself."

"I had to. Is Torako safe?"

"Yeah."

"Good…that's good. I wanted…" Solar reached into her pocket and pulled out something, placing it in Riko's hand. "She won't give up on you. None of us…" She trailed off. Cure Solar dissolved in a shower of golden light, leaving Yoshi behind, her school uniform as neat as when she had run in. The cut – which would have definitely scarred, had she received it in civilian form – disappeared as well, the bruise fading, Yoshi's freckled face now unblemished. Her eyes closed, and Riko shook her, rougher than she meant to out of fear. "Yoshi?!"

There was no response.

Through the fog of panic, Riko saw Yoshi's chest move up and down. She was breathing. Riko realized that she had been holding her breath, and let it out in a relived sigh. Yoshi was only unconscious. She would be okay.

_Why? Why did she fight so hard alone?_

Riko looked at the blue mirror on her hand.

Riko sat there for a very long time, staring at it, but then closed her fingers around it, gripping it so hard her knuckles turned white. Leaning over to give Yoshi a kiss on the forehead, Riko then stood up, ignoring all the snags in her black tights, and turned towards the hallway.

She was done running.

_Time to return the favor._

* * *

"Keep looking. It's here somewhere," Apoa said. The Uchui overturned a box filled with stuffed animals, emptying it out and then carefully pulling apart the stitches to see if a Starlight Shard had been hidden inside.

Apoa's jaw clenched in annoyance. She raised her arm.

Whatever magic she was about to preform was never acted upon – Cure Comet was suddenly in the doorway, running full bore towards the Uchui.

"Attack her," Apoa intoned, watching the blue Pretty Cure as she jumped up. _The same tricks. Attack the monster. How foolish. I thought this one was going to entertain me, at least._

She was almost bored.

But Cure Coment didn't stop. She landed heavily on the Uchui's head, pushing off and jumping right at Apoa, her light blue eyes full of an anger that made Apoa freeze, like a frog caught in the gaze of a snake. She reacted too late – as she drew her cloak around herself to disappear, to return back to the Dark Planet, Comet's fist swung around and punched Apoa right in the mouth, knocking her out of the air and roughly downwards. Apoa hit the ground hard, rolling to her side in pain. She didn't bother getting up, simply drawing her cape around her and disappearing properly this time.

As Apoa faded away, Comet finally turned her attention to the Uchui. It was trying to leave the room, and once it realized Cure Comet had spotted it, the piano noises became frantic, a crescendo of panic.

"_**Pretty Cure Mirror Vortex!"**_

The resulting explosion was immense, the searing heat causing Comet to back up and throw her arms up. It only lasted a moment, the daycare re-asserting itself. The smoking crater that was once an Uchui was now an electric keyboard, a Starlight Shard sitting delicately on top.

Someone moved behind her, and Comet whirled around, fists already up in defense.

Yoshi was staring at her, eyes wide in…pity? Admiration? Cure Comet couldn't place it. She dropped her fists, suddenly feeling very tired.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just fatigued. Are you…" Yoshi began, but trailed off. Cure Comet had been running on rage the past ten minutes, and now that the monster and Apoa had been dealt with, there was nothing holding her up. Her knees buckled, but Yoshi was there, grabbing Cure Comet's forearms with her hands and holding her steady.

"I don't want my family in danger," Comet said faintly, feeling the hot pricking of tears in her eyes, and she wiped them away carefully, trying her best to look like she wasn't actually upset, but the tears kept coming, streaming down her face as she struggled to keep from crying. "You were hurt, Tora was almost…I don't want to fight. I don't…"

Yoshi wrapped her arms around Cure Comet, folding her into a hug, whispering "You're safe now. You're safe," over and over. Comet grasped the back of Yoshi's uniform tightly, allowing herself to cry into her shoulder, and small strangled sobs escaped as the hot tears began falling, even as her Pretty Cure form melted away.

Riko held Yoshi as tight as she could and eventually the sound of her heartbeat soothed her tears, but she didn't let go, not until the daycare assistants came in to investigate the damage.

* * *

"I'm a mess," Riko sighed, checking her makeup in the blue, star-shaped mirror.

"It's okay. You're my mess." Yoshi knocked her shoulder against Riko's fondly, and Riko couldn't help but smile a little at the familiar gesture. "Feel better?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I don't even know why I was crying."

"It's really okay, Riko. Do you want to try to go to school?"

Riko shook her head.

"Do you want some juice? I picked up some on the way -" Yoshi began digging around in her school bag, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"Yoshi…"

Yoshi paused, looking up at Riko, hand still in her bag.

"It's okay. Really. I'm fine now." Riko smiled again, this time much more warmly. "Crying helped."

Yoshi nodded, and took Riko's hand, threading her fingers through hers.

They sat in silence for a while, holding hands.

Riko broke the quiet first.

"I have to apologize to Himeko."

Yoshi stood up, pulling Riko to her feet. "Then we better get going." She grinned, the lazy smile that always made Riko's heart skip a beat. "She's gonna want to hear how you punched Apoa in the face!"

* * *

"Where do you think they are?" Kimiko asked, looking worried. "Neither of them seem to be coming."

Nao shrugged. "They probably were busy. Riko's got Student Council stuff."

"What about Yoshi?"

"Maybe she wanted to eat with Riko."

"Maybe they just wanted to eat inside. It _is_ kind of chilly."

The bell that signaled lunch had rung five minutes ago. Nao and Kimiko were already halfway through their food. Himeko was picking at hers, shredding the lettuce in her sandwich between her fingers. Nao looked over at her. "Are you okay?"

"I yelled at Riko," Himeko mumbled. It was the most downcast Nao had ever seen her.

"You both yelled at each other."

"But she was probably scared. It's scary. I'm scared all the time, but when I have you guys, I'm not as scared. I thought…maybe she'd feel better if she was a part of the team. You and Yoshi were fine when you found out."

Nao poked at her rice with her chopsticks. "Well, you can't expect everyone to react to that kind of news the same. I mean, I was scared at first too."

Kimiko stopped chewing and pulled a face. "What _are_ you guys talking about?"

"Club stuff," Nao and Himeko said in unison.

Kimiko rolled her eyes and went back to her chicken.

"I think you should apologize," Nao continued. Seeing Himeko begin to protest, she quickly added, "You have to tell her this stuff. She can't read minds. I know this is really important, but putting a ton of pressure on her isn't going to make her want to do it more."

Himeko nodded forlornly, taking a bite of her sandwich. She managed to make chewing look sad. Nao's mouth pulled to the side in a sympathetic wince.

"_There_ you are! We thought you weren't coming!"

Himeko's head jerked up, and Nao turned to see Yoshi and Riko both walking toward them. Riko began jogging, and Himeko stood up to meet her.

"I'm sorry-" Both Riko and Himeko said at the same time.

Himeko gestured to Riko. "You go first."

"Oh, no. You should go first."

"No, really. I insist."

"Well, all right." Riko placed the two Starlight Shards into Himeko's hands.

"Thank you for not giving up on me."

Himeko flushed an embarrassed red. "I got Yoshi to take the mirror and I asked her to tell you I was sorry but I…"

Riko closed Himeko's fingers over the shards. "No apology necessary. I didn't realize how important this all was." She smiled. "There are things I want to protect, too."

Shaking her head, Himeko's eyes welled up in relieved tears, and she threw her arms around Riko in apology. "I'm sorry! I'm so so sorry!"

"Yeah, apologize to me, too, while you're at it. I almost had to take on Apoa all by myself." The wide-eyed stares Yoshi got from Nao and Himeko were almost frightening. "I'm okay, guys, Riko saved me." She leaned in conspiratorially. "You'll never guess what she did!"

"What? What did she do?" Himeko asked, still holding on to Riko, who was starting to look uncomfortable.

Yoshi told her. Himeko shrieked in delight.

"What _are_ you all going on about?" Kimiko cried, her face utterly incredulous.

"Club stuff," they all said.

Kimiko fumed.

As she broke away from the hug and wiped her tears, Himeko felt a raindrop hit her forehead. She peered at the sky. Another followed, hitting her square in the face, and soon it was properly raining. Himeko threw her arms up to shield herself, laughing, Riko breaking out into laughter as well as she held her school bag over her head.

"Inside! Inside!" Kimiko was shrieking, but as she ran towards the school, she jumped in every puddle she saw, splashing Nao, who squealed as the cold water hit her legs. Yoshi cracked up, but stepped in a puddle deeper than she expected. Her shout of surprise made even Nao begin to crack up.

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

* * *

Apoa stood in front of a mirror, turning her head this way and that. She had a bright red mark on her cheek and a fat lip, the skin split from Comet's punch.

Her lips curled in anger.

The cut began to bleed.

* * *

**Next Time on Starlight Pretty Cure!**

Yoshi: Be extra careful, guys. Apoa's mad because Cure Comet got the best of her.

Nao: It feels like a lot of monsters are showing up…

Riko: Oops. That's my fault.

Yoshi: You don't sound very sorry...

Nao: This is terrible!

Himeko: What is it? A new monster? A new Pretty Cure?

Nao: No…a new school project…

Himeko: Next time on Starlight Pretty Cure: "Shining Happily! Cure Nebula is Born!"


	8. Shining Happily! Cure Nebula is Born!

Rubbing her eyes blearily underneath her glasses, Nao slid her feet out of her flats and placed them in her locker in the entrance hall, stifling a yawn. The morning crowd of students bustled, the hum of conversation thick in the air as people greeted one another and traded their pair of outdoor shoes for their indoor ones. Nao closed the locker door and rested her head against it. _Maybe I'll skip my first few classes and go sleep in the nurse's office,_ she thought, but the guilt of missing a class didn't sit right on her stomach. She sighed heavily, shoving her toes into her shoes but not bothering to pull them on correctly.

"No!"

"_Yes_! I heard it all from _that girl_ in 2-C!"

At the sound of her class name, Nao's ears perked up.

"Did she see it?"

"She said she did. I don't know. She's creepy, so she probably did."

Nao turned her head slightly, keeping her forehead pressed against the metal locker as she began fixing the backs of her shoes properly on her feet. The two students were talking loudly nearby, gossiping as they pulled on their shoes.

"Jiro, that's mean!"

"You know why they call her the Witch, right?"

"Yeah. Didn't she curse some kid her first year? I heard he was sent to the hospital or something…"

"Uh-huh._ Scary_, right?"

"Ick! Yeah, if she says she sees ghosts I'd believe her. Unless it's for attention…"

"Probably not. Have you heard her doing fortune telling? They say she's scary accurate."

"Do you really think this building is haunted, then?"

"Who knows! It's one of the mysteries of the school, I guess."

Laughing, they began sauntering away. Nao straightened up, watching as they headed towards the stairs, her expression thoughtful.

_A ghost, huh?_

* * *

_Episode 8: _Shining Happily! Cure Nebula is Born!

* * *

"All right, kiddos, today's the day you get your assignments for the next project." Mikage-sensei cracked her knuckles, and the whole room fell silent. When Mikage cracked her knuckles, the students knew that was a warning – a pop quiz, a long essay, a spontaneous lap around the school. The class sat in dread.

"We've been covering journalism and logic in here for the past month, so the final project of this section is to – you guessed it – _investigate something_," she continued, writing the assignment up on the board as she talked. "I'll be splitting you up into groups, and your task will be to research anything you want."

The class started murmuring, but she capped her marker and rapped it on the podium. The class fell silent again. "There are rules, obviously. It has to be original. It has to be a real thing – I'm talking something you actually have to do work for. That means no internet searching something. I want you to go out and actually snoop around." She crossed her arms. "You have a suspicious neighbor? Look into them. You think someone's stealing from your secret candy stash? Stake out the area and try to catch the culprit. Switch your mother's usual coffee and record the results. I don't care what you do, but the bare minimum will only allow you to pass. If you want a hundred percent, you gotta go above and beyond. Impress me."

"With that," she added, "I'll be assigning partners. We have an odd number in here, so there will be eight groups of three and one group of two. Okay," she said, consulting the list on the podium, "Wakahisa, Hamasaki, Inoue: you're group one. Fukui, Saito, Kai: you're group two…"

Nao leaned on her desk, listless. _Assigned partners._ She usually worked with Kimiko or Himeko, but Mikage-sensei sorted them into groups four and five respectively. Kimiko gave her a sympathetic look, and Nao just shrugged, turning towards the front of the room again and waiting for her name. Group Six. Group Seven. Group Eight. Nao felt herself worrying that she'd be forgotten.

"Last, we have Oshiro and Yamamoto in group nine. That's everyone." Mikage clapped her hands together. "Let's work hard! You have the rest of the period to start planning your investigations. If you need any help, just let me know." Someone raised their hand to ask a question, but Nao had tuned them out.

_Oshiro? _The name wasn't familiar. To be fair, Nao mostly paid attention to the course work, not the people reading it out loud or asking questions, but even as she ran that through her mind she knew she was trying to justify ignoring part of the class. It wasn't that she disliked them – she had talked amicably with most of them before. She just didn't really see the need to become everyone's best friend.

"Are you Yamamoto?"

Nao had gotten lost in her own thoughts, and the voice shook her out of them. She looked up to see a girl standing near her desk, a notebook clutched under her arm. Her purple hair was curly and pulled into two messy buns, her bangs hanging well over her eyes and obscuring most of her face.

"Ah, yeah, that's me, Yamamoto Nao," Nao answered. "You're Oshiro, I take it."

"Yep! Just call me Shinobu." The girl pulled an empty chair over and sat down, grinning widely. "Pleasure to meet ya!"

"Likewise." Nao wondered how she could see with all the hair in her face. She didn't seem to have any issues, though, so Nao tucked the mystery in the back of her mind.

"So," Shinobu said, flipping her notebook open to a page with several notes written in neat handwriting, "what were you thinking of doing? As an investigation. I had a couple of ideas, but a lot of them were kind of strange."

Nao shook her head. "I don't mind strange. What were _you_ thinking?"

Shinobu beamed. "I'm so glad you asked!" She turned her notebook to face Nao and pushed it toward her. "Well, I don't know if you've heard, but there's rumor of a ghost haunting Yozora Public High School."

"I heard some girls talking about it this morning," Nao said, reading through the notes. Towards the bottom of the page, inn messy (but legible) characters, Shinobu had made a list.

_ 1. Cold Hallways_

_ 2. (Whatever was written had been scratched out and was now unreadable.)_

_ 3. Lights Flickering / Floating lights_

_ 4. Voices?_

"Is this all happening at the school?" Nao asked, looking over at Shinobu, who nodded.

"Yeah, it's been a hot topic this week. I mean, there's always rumors around schools that there's ghosts, but I think that janitor quitting really gave it life, you know?"

"Yeah." Nao looked thoughtful. "I heard there was a girl in our class who's seen the ghost. I don't know how true it is, though." She saw Shinobu's head jerk up, her smile huge.

"That would be me!"

Nao blinked in quiet surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah! It's a cool story. I'll tell you sometime."

"You're…not the one they call the Witch, are you?"

Shinobu sat back in her chair and guffawed, crossing her legs and looking smug. "Me again!"

"And you're okay with people calling you that?" Nao asked, incredulously.

"Well, yeah," Shinobu said, tilting in her chair and scratching her nose. "I started the rumor myself."

Although the question "why" was on the tip of her tongue, Nao bit the inside of her cheek, looking at Shinobu quizzically.

_She said it so causally,_ Nao thought. _She's kind of odd._

The look on Nao's face must have been betraying her thoughts, because Shinobu was quick with an explanation.

"I moved here last year, and I thought it might be fun to stir up some ridiculous rumor just to see what would happen." She looked proud of herself. "Notoriety is almost as good as fame, and anyways, who cares? Like being called a witch is the worst thing in the world. I'd _love_ to be able to do magic."

Nao decided she liked her.

Shinobu laughed again and stopped tilting her chair, taking her notebook back. "Anyways, I have it all mapped out," she said, ignoring her previous comment. Students who stay late for clubs since the janitor left have reported all this stuff." She tapped the page for emphasis.

Nao leaned over and took a look at the page again, and Shinobu scooted closer so she could see the page better. "I don't know, Shinobu," she began. "These all seem like things that could have really ordinary explanations. The school _is _really old. I mean, look at number one." Nao pointed at it, jabbing her finger at the paper. "It's winter. Of course the hallways are going to be cold."

"See? That's what I mean!" Shinobu lowered her voice conspiratorially. "Maybe it isn't a ghost. Maybe you're right. But how will we know if we never investigate?"

The question was met with a thoughtful silence. "Well, it _is_ a really original idea," Nao agreed. Shinobu beamed in response. "Yeah, okay, let's try it," Nao continued. "I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

The entrance of the school was absolutely deserted, but Nao could see a small, dark figure sitting on the steps leading to the door, barely illuminated by the full moon. "Just drop me here, Himawari," she said. "Shinobu said she'd meet me at the entrance."

Her big sister eyed the empty school warily. "You sure you're gonna be okay?"

"Don't worry. Mikage-sensei knows we're here. If I need anything, I'll call," Nao promised, unbuckling her seatbelt and bending down to pick her bag off the floor of the small car.

Himawari looked unconvinced, but she unlocked the door. "I'm coming to get you at midnight no matter what," she warned. "If you need me to come earlier-"

"I'll be fine, sis. Don't worry."

"No promises," Himawari said as Nao got out of the car. "Remember! Midnight! You have an hour!" With a wave, she pulled away, the tires crunching on the gravel. Nao waved until the red taillights had disappeared into the distance, then dropped her arm and made a beeline toward the entrance.

As she got nearer, though, she noticed that there were several more silhouettes on the stairs than she had expected. One of them raised a hand and waved her over.

"Nao! Over here!"

"Uh, hey, Himeko," Nao greeted her, confusion etched on her face. "What are…"

"I thought you invited them," Shinobu piped up from somewhere to Nao's left.

"We invited ourselves," Kimiko said decisively. "Our investigation is so _boring_. 'Count all the stray cats in the city!' That's so _lame_. You gotta let us help out!" Kimiko demanded, but at Nao's face added a polite "please."

Himeko nodded in agreement, clasping her hands together and blinking her eyelashes and pouting her lip.

Shinobu just grinned. "The more, the merrier! We can cover more ground this way. It'll go faster."

"Not to be rude," Nao said, choosing her words carefully, "but why are Yoshi and Riko here too?"

The third-years exchanged sheepish looks.

"We just wanted to break into the school, mostly," Yoshi said. "Himeko called us."

Nao looked at Riko, who had the decency to blush.

"Okay," Nao said, begrudgingly, "Now we have three times the people. I-"

"How do we get in?" Himeko interrupted.

"No problem." At this, Shinobu produced a large pair of bolt cutters.

There was a very tense silence.

"Isn't that illegal?" Nao muttered.

"Who cares?" Kimiko said, rolling up her sleeves. "Who would want to break into the school, anyways? It's not like we want to be there on a _normal_ day."

"Fair point," Shinobu agreed.

Nao sighed. "Guys, put those away. I already asked Mikage sensei to let us in." At that, she produced an old and slightly rusty key from her pocket. There was a small tag on it that read "front door" in elegant kanji.

Everyone stared at her.

* * *

The key opened the padlock on the door easily, and Nao placed the heavy metal lock on the ground carefully.

"When did you do _that_?" Kimiko asked suspiciously, turning they key over in her hands.

"After school." Nao rolled up the chains and placed them by the padlock. "Mikage-sensei is also technically the advisor for the Astronomy Club, so I've already had to talk to her a bunch. She trusts me." She held out her hand, and Kimiko dropped the key into Nao's palm. "I have to get this back tomorrow, though. I'll be in huge trouble if I lose it."

"You probably _are_ going to lose it, now that you've said it."

"Hey, you two!" Nao and Kimiko looked over; noticing the other four had already began walking inside. "Hurry up!" Yoshi added.

As soon as the doors swung shut behind Nao and Kimiko, Riko yelped.

"It's pitch black in here!" She cried, grabbing onto Yoshi and squeezing her eyes shut – not that it helped. "Like, really, _really_ dark."

There was a thin zipping noise as Shinobu pulled out two flashlights from her backpack and switched them both on. Nao did the same, pulling one out of her satchel.

"So we have three flashlights. We're gonna have to split them up," Nao said, and already was handing her flashlight to Yoshi and Riko. She didn't bother asking if they were gonna partner up - their relationship status told her that already.

Yoshi nodded her thanks, accepting the flashlight and shining it over the entry way, shivering. "The school looks so creepy at night." Riko clung to Yoshi's arm tighter. The lockers looked creepy in the dark. The wooden floors, usually pleasantly creaky, now seemed sinister. Every small noise was making Riko jump, but holding onto Yoshi was calming her nerves slightly.

"So, how are _we_ splitting up?" Himeko asked.

There was a moment as the remaining four girls pondered this.

"How about Hime and Kimi go together, and me and Shinobu will partner up? So that way we share the flashlights…"

Kimiko nodded, strange shadows cast over her face from the dim light. Shinobu looked like a ghost herself, only her nose and mouth visible under all the hair in her face. She dug back into her backpack and pulled out her notebook, flipping to the page she had shown Nao in class.

"Besides seeing the actual ghost, there's a couple of things people have reported. You two!" She pointed at the girlfriends, who snapped to attention. "You'll investigate the cold hallways. Start with the third floor and work down!"

"Aye aye, captain," Yoshi said, saluting.

"Kimi and Hime, you guys should investigate the floating lights. Me and Nao will take the last item on the checklist."

"The voices," Nao said, and all the girls fell silent.

The floor creaked slightly, causing Himeko to jump and shine her flashlight at the doorway leading to the teacher offices on the first floor.

"Let's get this over with," Kimiko whispered, shoulders hunched. She was already regretting the decision to tag along.

"Let's meet back here at ten to midnight, okay?" Nao reminded them. "That gives us fifty minutes."

With that, the girls bid each other hushed good luck, and they split up.

* * *

"I told you I saw the ghost, right?"

"Yeah. You didn't really elaborate, though." Nao hoped Shinobu didn't mean that as a lead in into the actual story, but her luck hadn't been that impressive as of late.

They were walking around the second floor, Nao shining the flashlight on the ground and the walls as they made their way toward the oldest part of the school. A couple of girls had reported hearing creepy voices there, in the eastern section. Yozora High School had been built in the early 1920s as a western-style private academy for boys, although around 1960 it was re-opened as a public school for all genders. Roughly twenty years ago, the city had funded a project to add onto the school to accommodate the growing population. The original school was kept largely intact, but they added the western section and thus doubled the floor space. The eastern section was, of course, updated, but it was still the oldest part of the building, most of the paneling and architecture kept from the original academy. If the school was haunted, the ghost would almost certainly have localized in the old rooms there.

"Not much to tell, really," Shinobu began. "I fell asleep in a closet one day-" She stopped when she saw Nao's incredulous face, quickly adding, "-I was tired and the nurse's office was full. I just sat in a closet instead. That's not the exciting part, so don't make faces until I'm done."

"No promises."

Shinobu caught Nao's half-smirk and grinned back, going on.

"Anyways, it was pretty dark when I finally woke up, and so I had to run back to the classroom to get my stuff, but it wasn't there, so I decided to check the teacher's offices, right? But out of the corner of my eye…"

She paused for effect, but mostly Nao wondered how that was even possible.

"…there was this _shape_. It moved really fast, but I definitely saw something. I was so scared I just ran out of the school right then and left all my stuff at school."

"What did it look like?" Nao asked, pulling her hood closer around her neck. She felt strangely exposed out in the open, like she wanted to sit against a wall for safety, guard her back.

"I didn't really see it, but…" Shinobu hesitated. "I saw glowing red eyes."

* * *

"It's just as cold here as it is downstairs," Riko muttered, both hands now wrapped around Yoshi's arm. Even in her fleece-lined blue sweater, she was shivering. "I should have worn more layers."

"What happened to 'I'll wear pants, Yoshi, don't worry'?" Yoshi said, obviously comfortable in her light jacket and leggings. Her sneakers scuffled on the wooden floors, Riko's sensible black flats padding right next to them.

"I changed my mind! I wanted to wear this. It's a new skirt."

"Well…it _is_ really cute."

"Oh! You think so?"

"Don't act all innocent, I _know_ you wore it because you wanted to show it off."

"Well, it's _cute_, so why wouldn't I? Anyways, you like it."

Yoshi laughed. "True." She shined the flashlight around the end of the hallway. "No cold spots on the second floor. Let's head downstairs."

"All right."

Riko suddenly froze, arms unlooping from Yoshi's elbow, and the blonde turned around to face her girlfriend. "What's up?"

"It's _extra_ _freezing_ here," she said, teeth almost chattering.

"Just a second ago-"

"_I know_ what I said. It just got really cold all of a sudden." Riko squinted around, looking at the ceiling, and the beam of the flashlight followed her gaze. "Look – an air vent."

"I didn't even know we had those on the ceiling," Yoshi said. "I guess it's on a timer, and if you weren't paying attention it'd seem like it got mysteriously cold."

"That's one mystery down," Riko said, rubbing her arms. The relief in her voice was palpable. "Maybe there's no ghost after all."

"I guess we'll see." There was a frantic beeping from Yoshi's pocket, and she pulled her phone out with her free hand. "Nao send me a message," she explained to Riko, confused. Riko returned to Yoshi's side, looping her arm around Yoshi's and reading the message as Yoshi opened it.

They stood there in quiet shock for a moment.

Yoshi swore.

They both took off running.

* * *

"What was that?" Himeko shrieked.

"What was _what_!" Kimiko said, jumping at Himeko's sudden outburst.

There was a tense silence as Himeko listened intently, but she sighed in relief, putting a hand over her heart. "It was nothing! Thank goodness."

"Himeko! Don't do that! You're gonna give me a heart attack."

'So-_rry_, but it's so _creepy_ in here!"

They had already walked around the third floor, both girls becoming progressively more and more creeped out as the hour drew on. It didn't help that Himeko was jumping at every little small noise.

"Hoshizawa!" Kimiko turned around, placing the flashlight under her chin, the light contorting her face into a spooky caricature. "Get your head in the game! We've been tasked with an important mission!"

Himeko fiddled with the buttons on her coat, her swinging her feet like a scolded kindergartener. "Sorry."

Kimiko removed the flashlight, pointing it around the hallway. "Not like anything's happening. I don't see any lights."

"Maybe turn the flashlight off?"

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that."

Himeko pouted. "All the people who saw the lights said it was pitch black! Maybe we need to recreate-"

"No."

"Come on, Kimi!"

"I said no-! Hey! Give me that!" Kimiko tried to wrestle the flashlight out of Himeko's grip, but the Princess held firm. They tussled for a few moments, but the flashlight suddenly gave, sending them both sprawling on their backs.

It took a second for them to parse through what had happened, but both quickly realized what had occurred.

The flashlight was one of the kinds that unscrewed in the middle, and when Himeko and Kimeko had begun to wrestle for control, they had inadvertently loosened it, causing the flashlight to separate and the battery inside to go flying off into a corner.

The two girls sat in the dark for a moment.

"Nice going, Hime."

"Wh-!? _Me_? Who was being stubborn and-" Himeko stopped dead mid-sentence. "_Kimiko_," she breathed. "_I see something_."

* * *

"I don't see anything, Shinobu. I think it's a bust. This place is as haunted as…something not very haunted at all. Just creepy." Nao turned around. "Let's go meet up with the others. It's almost midnight."

She began walking back out the door of the classroom, but Shinobu made no move to follow.

"Isn't it strange…"

"What is?"

Shinobu looked over at her.

"We haven't run into any of the others. There should have been an overlap when we changed floors, or even heard them, but…"

"Nothing," Nao finished, a chill creeping up her spine.

Behind them, the door slammed shut.

* * *

"Wooow! It's a bunch of glow in the dark stars!"

"Look, it's a trail," Kimiko said, raising her arm and following the line with her index finger.

The girls walked in silence, following the glowing green stickers until they turned sharply into a room.

"Oh," Himeko breathed.

The entire ceiling was _covered_ in glow in the dark stars, the room bathed in a subtle pale green. Himeko pointed at a small trio of stickers. "Look, it's Orion."

"The Ooguma za!" Kimiko pointed to another part of the ceiling. "And there's the Koguma za, right next to it."

"This is the third floor lounge. Do you think Nao put all these up?"

"Probably," Kimiko said, still focused on the stars. "She must have gotten permission – this looks like it took a lot of time to do…"

As Himeko looked around in awe, she noticed something near the circular florescent light in the center of the room. She walked further in, squinting at it.

It was a small planet sticker, glowing the brightest due to its proximity to the ceiling light, and cut out of paper, Himeko supposed, was a small star, stuck on the planet, creating a small dark silhouette on the planet. To the right of it was the silhouette a simplistic crown.

Nao had included the Kingdom of Stars.

Himeko gasped, unable to do more than stare at it, hands covering her face in delight.

"Himeko, you okay?"

"Yeah," she said, grinning so hard her face hurt. "I'm perfect."

* * *

"I've found you now, Pretty Cure," Peria said, and Nao breathed out in relief.

"Oh, it's just you."

Peria's eye twitched. "Just…?" She stomped her foot. "I demand you treat me with respect! I am a member of Singularity!"

Shinobu leaned over to Nao. "What's going on? Another friend of yours?"

"Not really," Nao whispered back.

"Stop talking!" Peria snapped, and her raised voice was enough to shock both girls into silence. "You're all in my trap now, so give me the Starlight Shards and _maybe_ I'll let you go."

"A trap?" Shinobu mumbled. "What the heck does that mean?"

Peria looked smug, her confident expression visible in the dim moonlight. "I've been staking out this school, trying to figure out when the best time would be to ambush you," she said. "I've been scaring humans left and right, hoping you'd take the bait."

The other shoe dropped. Nao groaned. "You made up this whole haunting to get us interested! You knew we'd want to look into it!"

"Exactly," Peria said, her pink eyes gleaming. "It was a long shot, but it here you are…"

"Is this…LARPing?" Shinobu asked. "Starlight…?" She looked at Nao for clarification, her expression alarmed, but the gears in Nao's mind had already begun turning.

_I saw glowing red eyes._

"There _is _an Uchui here," she realized, her stomach dropping, sick anxiety rising, causing her voice to pitch in fear. "You knew we'd split up. You counted on it!"

"You made a fool of me for the last time, little girls," Peria said, and she lunged forward.

* * *

"Riko!"

"Hime?!"

"Riko, you'll never guess what we found!" She said, just as Yoshi began to say "Where are they?"

The delighted grin on Himeko's face dropped. "But we're right here, on the stairs."

Riko and Yoshi looked at each other, puzzled. "We can't see you," Yoshi said, slowly.

"But…we're right in front of you," Kimiko added, exchanging a look with Himeko.

Riko shook her head. All she saw was darkness, the staircase shrouded in inky black night. "I guess it's just too dim to tell. Anyways, Yoshi, tell them."

Yoshi pulled out her phone and opened the message.

"What? What. What bad news?" Himeko said, her voice becoming very small.

Yoshi read the message out loud.

"An Uchui? In the school?" Himeko's eyes went wide in fear. "How-"

"It's been ten minutes since we were supposed to meet at the entrance of the school," Riko interrupted. "You guys are fine, but where are the-"

There was a feral roar, and suddenly the darkness shifted around the four girls, sucked from under their feet and congealing into a massive figure at the top of the stairs, outlined in the moonlight. Its eyes opened, red slits at the top, and a large, gaping mouth splitting the monster's torso in half.

Kimiko screamed.

Riko grabbed her wrist and started running toward the door. _That's why the school was so dark_, she thought grimly. _That's why we wouldn't see them even though they were close enough to touch us._ _I thought there was something unnatural about it._

Yoshi looked at Himeko, who nodded. They both raised their mirrors above their heads.

* * *

"Nao!"

Nao blinked, her head feeling fuzzy. Someone was holding on to the front of her shirt, lifting her off the ground, and as the world stopped spinning she realized her glasses had been knocked off. Even in the dim light, even as blind as she was, she could still see Peria's face in front of hers, her eyes glinting evilly.

"_Nao!_"

Someone was yelling her name.

"Why don't you transform?" Peria hissed in her ear. "A fight's no fun if it's over quickly." She ran a fingernail over Nao's cheek, tracing a line down her face. "Although killing you _would_ be easier," she admitted.

Nao spit at her.

It did the job – Peria recoiled in horror, letting Nao go, and as her back hit the floor she felt pain shoot through her side.

_That's right. She hit me in the side._ Nao rolled slightly, but Peria's foot slammed down in front of her face, narrowly missing Nao's nose.

"_Tranform!"_

"If you insist…"

Her eyebrows furrowing, Peria looked at Nao quizzically.

Nao hadn't spoken.

Peria turned around.

"…**Pretty Cure! Cosmos Activate!"**

A burst of pale purple light lit the entire room up, like a beacon.

* * *

"What is _that_?" Kimiko yelled, and Riko turned around to see the purple light shining brightly from the second floor begin to dim, fading away completely. It left a bright impression behind her eyelids, even for the split second she had seen it.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully, staring at the darkened room. _But I'm sure we'll find out soon._

When the light disappeared, Nao sat up, blinking the spots out of her eyes. Someone was standing there, a bright spot in the middle of the dim shadows of the room. They were holding something out to her.

Nao fumbled around, her hand closing around her glasses, and when she put them on, she blinked in confusion and awe.

A girl with bright purple hair pulled into perfect buns was standing before her, her straight bangs covering her face. She wore a purple dress of varying hues, square shoulders and sleeves trimmed with lace adoring her body, a mirror compact attached to her chest. Her knee-high boots were purple, her arms covered in fingerless gloves.

"…_Shinobu?_" Nao gasped.

The girl nodded, and then turned to face Peria, who was cowering in the back of the room, eyes wide as saucers.

"The veil of happiness and beauty! I am Cure Nebula!" She pointed at the corner of the room. To empty air.

Peria had disappeared, the last curls of black smoke from the dark void almost invisible in the gloom.

"Where did she go?" Cure Nebula said, lowering her arm.

"Who knows," Nao said, getting to her feet. "Good riddance, though. Come on, let's go meet the others. I bet they're worried."

Cure Nebula looked long and hard at the place Peria had just been, but then she followed Nao out of the room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

"_Pretty Cure Royal Flash_!"

The mint green laser tore deeply into the Uchui's body, cutting easily through it and carving a hole right into its mouth. It melted into smoke with a fading roar, turning translucent and finally dissolving entirely. By the time Nao and Cure Nebula reached them, Cure Star was bending over to pick up the Starlight Shard left behind.

Cure Solar waved, frowning when she noticed the new Pretty Cure, but Nao began to explain and after a few moments everyone was caught up.

"So, the ghost was Peria the whole time," Cure Star said, prodding the overturned ink bottle with her foot. She held the blue starlight shard in her hand, and it glowed faintly in the dark.

"Yeah. The voices students heard was Peria talking to the Uchui, and the Uchui moving around in the walls and shadows," Nao said.

"She really did a good job scaring people. I wonder how we're gonna explain that in our investigation paper, though," Cure Nebula said, crossing her arms.

Solar just shrugged as she transformed back into Yoshi.

Himeko shrugged off the last few mint green sparks, and her face tight. She looked to be puzzling over something, but she shrugged and her face cleared. "Welcome to the team, Shin! You really saved our skins back there, scaring Peria off."

"It was nothing," Shinobu said, shoulders hunched in humble embarrassment.

"Another reason to celebrate…" Nao pulled something out of her pocket. "_And _I didn't lose the key!"

"Nao!" Kimiko burst in the doors, yelling. "Are you ok-oof!"

She collided with Nao, running into her back, and the sudden impact startled Nao, who lost hold of the key.

It clattered to the ground, skidding along the wood, and slipped in between the cracks in the floorboard, disappearing from view with a final sheen of metal glinting off it.

The silence was deafening.

* * *

**Next time on Starlight Pretty Cure!**

Himeko: We have all five members of Pretty Cure now!

Stella: I always miss everything! That's the last time I let you go out on your own.

Yoshi: Then let's have a club get-together! So Stella can come!

Riko: Good idea. Where to host…

Shinobu: I guess…my house, but-

Nao: Good idea!

Shinobu: But wait, before you guys come over, there's something you should know…

Stella: Next time on Starlight Pretty Cure: "Am I that scary…? Shinobu's Dilemma!"


End file.
